inborn reflex
- noun
- /ˈɪnˌbɔrn ˈrɪˌflɛks/
- Specialized
:
reflejo innato
- When the loud noise startled him, his immediate jump was an inborn reflex to unexpected stimuli.
Examples
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The baby instinctively grasped the finger of the nurse, demonstrating an inborn reflex that promotes bonding.
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If the cerebral hemispheres of an animal brain are removed, its conditioned reflexes and the modes of behavior founded upon them are absent or destroyed; only its automatic, inborn reflex activity remains.
Blog text (32) -
In response to the bright light, the infant's pupil constricted due to an inborn reflex that regulates vision.
Synonyms
54
3.7
A quick action you do without thinking in response to something
2
3.4
A quick movement your body makes without thinking, for example pulling your hand from something hot
1
4.5
An automatic body response to something that affects it, like sweating or a faster heartbeat
An automatic action your body makes without being taught
An automatic body response to a signal without learning
An automatic body response to a touch or sound that happens without thinking
An automatic action your body makes without thinking when something touches or moves near you
A quick action you do without thinking
How Automatic
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase combines 'inborn' (present at birth) and 'reflex' (an automatic, unlearned response), so the meaning 'an automatic response present at birth' is directly and transparently derivable from its parts. This compositional structure is common across languages and follows basic English adjective + noun semantics, so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily understand it.
Etymology
Inborn reflex comes from the simple image of a newborn making a quick, natural movement: inborn means born with it and reflex means a fast, automatic action, as when a baby sucks when its lips are touched. So, inborn reflex means a natural 'automatic' response a baby has from birth.