Difference between inherent, intrinisic and innate
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Hello Dubbidub - welcome to WordReference 
I don't use any of these a great deal.
Innate seems to be more about people/creatures and qualities they are born with (the "nate" giveaway).
I can't immediately think of inherent/intrinsic differences - I assume you've checked dictionaries and there's little point in quoting definitions.
I don't use any of these a great deal.
Innate seems to be more about people/creatures and qualities they are born with (the "nate" giveaway).
I can't immediately think of inherent/intrinsic differences - I assume you've checked dictionaries and there's little point in quoting definitions.
Yes, but the dictionary defines each word in a nearly identical fashion when compared to the other words.
OK
If something is inherent it is something essential or permanent. It has been and always will be a feature of whatever you are describing.
If something is intrinsic, it's inherent. They are synonyms in their general meaning, and I had to struggle a bit to find sentences where you could not replace one with the other.
Inherent also has a legal meaning, but intrinsic doesn't.
Innate is a synonym for inborn and can mean natural. Its meaning overlaps the other two. As panjandrum suggested, it applies to animate rather than inanimate objects.
Elections are an inherent feature of democracy
Elections are an intrinsic feature of democracy
But
Elections are an innate feature of democracy
Maternal care for the young is an innate characteristic of mammals.
Nest-building is innate behaviour in birds.
Nest-building is intrinsic behaviour in birds.
Nest-building is inherent behaviour in birds.
Nest-building is innate in the behaviour of birds
Nest-building is inherent in the behaviour of birds
Nest-building is intrinsic in the behaviour of birds
Nest-building is innate to the survival of birds.
Nest-building is intrinsic to the survival of birds.
Nest-building is inherent to the survival of birds.
But most of the for the birds arise from the sentence structure rather than the meaning.
Others may disagree
Sorry, I didn't mean to make you unwelcome. It just wasn't clear if you had looked in a dictionary.
If something is inherent it is something essential or permanent. It has been and always will be a feature of whatever you are describing.
If something is intrinsic, it's inherent. They are synonyms in their general meaning, and I had to struggle a bit to find sentences where you could not replace one with the other.
Inherent also has a legal meaning, but intrinsic doesn't.
Innate is a synonym for inborn and can mean natural. Its meaning overlaps the other two. As panjandrum suggested, it applies to animate rather than inanimate objects.
Elections are an inherent feature of democracy
Elections are an intrinsic feature of democracy
But
Elections are an innate feature of democracy
Maternal care for the young is an innate characteristic of mammals.
Nest-building is innate behaviour in birds.
Nest-building is intrinsic behaviour in birds.
Nest-building is inherent behaviour in birds.
Nest-building is innate in the behaviour of birds
Nest-building is inherent in the behaviour of birds
Nest-building is intrinsic in the behaviour of birds
Nest-building is innate to the survival of birds.
Nest-building is intrinsic to the survival of birds.
Nest-building is inherent to the survival of birds.
But most of the
for the birds arise from the sentence structure rather than the meaning.Others may disagree
Sorry, I didn't mean to make you unwelcome. It just wasn't clear if you had looked in a dictionary.
Thank you, I now thoroughly understand innate, but the difference between inherent and intrinisic still perplexes me a little bit.OK
If something is inherent it is something essential or permanent. It has been and always will be a feature of whatever you are describing.
If something is intrinsic, it's inherent. They are synonyms in their general meaning, and I had to struggle a bit to find sentences where you could not replace one with the other.
Inherent also has a legal meaning, but intrinsic doesn't.
Innate is a synonym for inborn and can mean natural. Its meaning overlaps the other two. As panjandrum suggested, it applies to animate rather than inanimate objects.
Elections are an inherent feature of democracy
Elections are an intrinsic feature of democracy
But
Elections are an innate feature of democracy
Maternal care for the young is an innate characteristic of mammals.
Nest-building is innate behaviour in birds.
Nest-building is intrinsic behaviour in birds.
Nest-building is inherent behaviour in birds.
Nest-building is innate in the behaviour of birds
Nest-building is inherent in the behaviour of birds
Nest-building is intrinsic in the behaviour of birds
Nest-building is innate to the survival of birds.
Nest-building is intrinsic to the survival of birds.
Nest-building is inherent to the survival of birds.
But most of the
Others may disagree
Sorry, I didn't mean to make you unwelcome. It just wasn't clear if you had looked in a dictionary.
If there is any difference for me between inherent and intrinsic I would say that intrinsic has a connotation of being an essential component. In other words, if something that is intrinsic is removed, the thing from which it is removed is no longer quite itself.
"Elections are an inherent feature of democracy" means, to me, that all democracies, wherever or however they are formed, include elections. "Elections are an intrinsic feature of democracy" means, to me, that an essential characteristic of democracies is the election process and that if it were removed you would lose a critical component of what makes a democracy a democracy.
"Elections are an inherent feature of democracy" means, to me, that all democracies, wherever or however they are formed, include elections. "Elections are an intrinsic feature of democracy" means, to me, that an essential characteristic of democracies is the election process and that if it were removed you would lose a critical component of what makes a democracy a democracy.
Thank you. I was sitting here trying to find a clear example of the difference in meaning in response to Dubbidub's last post and had just got to much the same point. I was thinking why intrinsic factor (something required for the absorption of vitamin B12) could not be called inherent factor - it is inherent in the process of absorption because it is there, but it is intrinsic because without it the process must fail.
With this responce, I believe the question has been resolved. Intrinisic means inherent, but also essential, while inherent just means inborn in something with it's importance not being described.
Inherent, to me, does not necessarily mean "inborn". It could be a constructed characteristic, such as a procedure that is inherently safe. It couldn't be called a procedure that is innately ("inborn") safe.
I know inherent also applies to inaminate things, but inborn was the only word I could come up with.
... and that is an example where inherent and intrinsic are synonyms
a procedure that is inherently safe
a procedure that is intrinsically safe
Inherent refers to a principle that underlies or is in a manifest pattern: an inherent tendency of a hot-headed person to lose control in tense situation.
Intrinsic for the most part applies to fundamentals that underlie a larger design: Intrinsic weaknesses that make heating appliances fire hazards.
Keep in mind that this response is aimed at your expressed perplexity on the difference between intrinsic and inherent. Other comments could very well be valid.
warmblood - I don't see much difference between those two examples and could easily see them reversed.
I really don't think there's any significant difference these days, even if one were to have existed a while ago. They have certainly merged and are used with inherently/intrinsically the same meaning. Looking at the etymology, one might suspect that intrinsic had a more physical or literal meaning (spatial location inside some object) while inherent seems to have started as conceptual, but clearly they are both used conceptually.
and could easily see them reversed. I really don't think there's any significant difference these days, even if one were to have existed a while ago. They have certainly merged and are used with inherently/intrinsically the same meaning. Looking at the etymology, one might suspect that intrinsic had a more physical or literal meaning (spatial location inside some object) while inherent seems to have started as conceptual, but clearly they are both used conceptually.
I'm afraid I must disagree with warmblood on that attempt to differentiate meanings. Those distinctions do not exist in the way the words have been used, in my experience, for at least 40 years. They also do not reflect the British English dictionary definitions. I agree with JulianStuart. Those are examples where either word could be used with exactly the same meaning.
However, returning to the original question, you could also say that the hot-headed person had an innate tendency to lose control in tense situations
I think the etymologies help distinguish between these words. I certainly think of them when I use them:
Innate means inborn, i.e. not acquired.
Inherent means stuck in, i.e. not easily removed.
Intrinsic means inner; extrinsic means exterior (adj.)
This would suggest that things which are innate can easily also be inherent (you can't remove them because they are stuck in) and intrinsic (not extrinsic).
And also that some intrinsic qualities are neither inherent, because they may be removed, or innate, because acquired.
Innate means inborn, i.e. not acquired.
Inherent means stuck in, i.e. not easily removed.
Intrinsic means inner; extrinsic means exterior (adj.)
This would suggest that things which are innate can easily also be inherent (you can't remove them because they are stuck in) and intrinsic (not extrinsic).
And also that some intrinsic qualities are neither inherent, because they may be removed, or innate, because acquired.
From the OED.
intrinsic
1. a. Situated within; interior, inner. Obs. (exc. as in b. <anatomical>)
2. a. Inward, internal (in fig. sense); secret, private. Obs. (passing into sense 3).
3. a. Belonging to the thing in itself, or by its very nature; inherent, essential, proper; ‘of its own’.
inherent
1. Sticking in; fixed, situated, or contained in something (in physical sense). Const. in, rarely: to. Now rare or Obs.
2. fig. Cleaving fast, remaining, or abiding in some thing or person; permanently indwelling. Now rare or Obs.
3. Existing in something as a permanent attribute or quality; forming an element, esp. a characteristic or essential element of something; belonging to the intrinsic nature of that which is spoken of; indwelling, intrinsic, essential.
Two comments.
Only definition #3, in each case, is current.
Each includes the other in its definition.
intrinsic
1. a. Situated within; interior, inner. Obs. (exc. as in b. <anatomical>)
2. a. Inward, internal (in fig. sense); secret, private. Obs. (passing into sense 3).
3. a. Belonging to the thing in itself, or by its very nature; inherent, essential, proper; ‘of its own’.
inherent
1. Sticking in; fixed, situated, or contained in something (in physical sense). Const. in, rarely: to. Now rare or Obs.
2. fig. Cleaving fast, remaining, or abiding in some thing or person; permanently indwelling. Now rare or Obs.
3. Existing in something as a permanent attribute or quality; forming an element, esp. a characteristic or essential element of something; belonging to the intrinsic nature of that which is spoken of; indwelling, intrinsic, essential.
Two comments.
Only definition #3, in each case, is current.
Each includes the other in its definition.
Intrinsic seems to connote a level of deepness or entanglement, whereas Inherent seems to involve continuation in a more linear direction. I encounter Intrinsic when reading physics and Inherent when reading psychology (behavioral, developmental, etc). Perhaps each word is Implicated in the other...
All these qualities can apply at the same time. To illustrate this I will use an example of a fruit bowl.
(i) A fruit bowl has an innate nature that it is a fruit bowl. It has been designed to be as such and most likely to be used for that purpose
(ii) A fruit bowl is made of wood or glass or plastic is its extrinsic nature
(iii) inherently a fruit bowl may be red, blue, clear; heavy or light; small or large. In this instance these qualities are inherited from design (innate) or materials (extrinsic) nature.
(iv) A fruit bowl is intrinsically a bowl as such it can be used for other purposes than just fruit. What makes this aspect intrinsic is that it will always be a bowl regardless of other qualities
Madhoo
(i) A fruit bowl has an innate nature that it is a fruit bowl. It has been designed to be as such and most likely to be used for that purpose
(ii) A fruit bowl is made of wood or glass or plastic is its extrinsic nature
(iii) inherently a fruit bowl may be red, blue, clear; heavy or light; small or large. In this instance these qualities are inherited from design (innate) or materials (extrinsic) nature.
(iv) A fruit bowl is intrinsically a bowl as such it can be used for other purposes than just fruit. What makes this aspect intrinsic is that it will always be a bowl regardless of other qualities
Madhoo
