Intrinsic

hard

in-TRIN-zik

adjective

Definition

Belonging naturally; essential; inherent

Examples

The painting has intrinsic value beyond its market price.
Hard work is intrinsic to success.

Synonyms

inherentinnateessentialfundamental

Antonyms

extrinsicexternalincidentalperipheral

Categories

GRE Tip

Intrinsic is a hard-difficulty GRE word. On the GRE, you might see it paired with synonyms like "inherent" or "innate" in Sentence Equivalence questions. Look for contrast clues (however, despite, although) that signal the opposite meaning. Words like "extrinsic".

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