Main Entry:: in·trin·sic
Pronunciation:: \in-ˈtrin-zik, -ˈtrin(t)-sik\
Function:: adjective
Etymology:: French intrinsèque internal, from Late Latin intrinsecus, from Latin, adverb, inwardly; akin to Latin intra within — more at intra-
Date:: 1635

1 a: belonging to the essential nature or constitution of a thing <the intrinsic worth of a gem> <the intrinsic brightness of a star> b: being or relating to a semiconductor in which the concentration of charge carriers is characteristic of the material itself instead of the content of any impurities it contains2 a: originating or due to causes within a body, organ, or part <an intrinsic metabolic disease> b: originating and included wholly within an organ or part <intrinsic muscles> — compare extrinsic 1b

— in·trin·si·cal·ly

\-zi-k(ə-)lē, -si-\ adverb

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