The difference between Automatic and Instinctive

When used as adjectives, automatic means capable of operating without external control or intervention, whereas instinctive means related to or prompted by instinct.


Automatic is also noun with the meaning: a car with automatic transmission.

check bellow for the other definitions of Automatic and Instinctive

  1. Automatic as an adjective:

    Capable of operating without external control or intervention.

    Examples:

    "The automatic clothes washer was a great labor-saving device."

  2. Automatic as an adjective:

    Done out of habit or without conscious thought.

    Examples:

    "The reaction was automatic: flight!"

  3. Automatic as an adjective (of a [[firearm]] such as a [[machine gun]]):

    Firing continuously as long as the trigger is pressed until ammunition is exhausted.

    Examples:

    "Fully automatic weapons cannot be legally owned by private citizens in the US, except in very special circumstances, as by private security companies."

  4. Automatic as an adjective (of a [[handgun]]):

    An autoloader; a semi-automatic or self-loading pistol, as opposed to a revolver or other manually actuated handgun, which fires one shot per pull of the trigger; distinct from machine guns.

    Examples:

    "The US Army adopted John Browning's M1911 pistol as its [[sidearm]], chambered in .45 ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol)."

  5. Automatic as an adjective (computing, of a local [[variable]]):

    Automatically added to and removed from the stack during the course of function calls.

  6. Automatic as an adjective (maths, of a group):

    Having one or more finite-state automata

  1. Automatic as a noun:

    A car with automatic transmission.

    Examples:

    "I never learned to drive a stick. I can only drive an automatic."

  2. Automatic as a noun:

    A semi-automatic pistol.

    Examples:

    "The [[G-men]] raiding the [[speakeasy]] were equipped with .45 automatics, while the local policemen were carrying revolvers and shotguns."

  1. Instinctive as an adjective:

    Related to or prompted by instinct.

  2. Instinctive as an adjective:

    Driven by impulse, spontaneous and without thinking.