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Instinct vs Streetwise - What's the difference?

instinct | streetwise |

As adjectives the difference between instinct and streetwise

is that instinct is (archaic) imbued, charged ((with) something) while streetwise is having the necessary knack, personality and instinct for survival in rough, urban environments.

As a noun instinct

is a natural or inherent impulse or behaviour.

instinct

Noun

  • A natural or inherent impulse or behaviour.
  • Many animals fear fire by instinct .
  • * Shakespeare
  • By a divine instinct , men's minds mistrust / Ensuing dangers.
  • * {{quote-book
  • , year=1921 , title= , author=Bertrand Russell , passage=In spite of these qualifications, the broad distinction between instinct and habit is undeniable. To take extreme cases, every animal at birth can take food by instinct, before it has had opportunity to learn; on the other hand, no one can ride a bicycle by instinct, though, after learning, the necessary movements become just as automatic as if they were instinctive.}}
  • An intuitive reaction not based on rational conscious thought.
  • an instinct''' for order; to be modest by '''instinct
    Debbie's instinct was to distrust John.

    Derived terms

    * instinctively * instinctive

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • (archaic) Imbued, charged ((with) something).
  • * Milton
  • The chariot of paternal deity / Itself instinct with spirit, but convoyed / By four cherubic shapes.
  • * Brougham
  • a noble performance, instinct with sound principle
  • * 1928 , (HP Lovecraft), ‘The Call of Cthulhu’:
  • This thing, which seemed instinct with a fearsome and unnatural malignancy, was of a somewhat bloated corpulence, and squatted evilly on a rectangular block or pedestal covered with undecipherable characters.

    streetwise

    English

    Alternative forms

    * street-wise

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Having the necessary knack, personality and instinct for survival in rough, urban environments.
  • Possessing a style that embodies the life and microculture located within urban settings, typically in the States.
  • :You could tell from the way he spat old Tupac lyrics, loitering in the corner with his homies, flipping that Yankees cap on his head like he couldn't give a damn that he was streetwise enough to melt Will Smith.
  • Synonyms

    *street-smart

    See also

    * street smarts