# second nature

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/second-nature
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A mindset, skill, or type of behavior so ingrained through habit or practice that it seems natural, automatic, or without a basis in conscious thought.

## Examples

- Driving is second nature to her now.
- After ten years in the kitchen, chopping vegetables quickly became second nature.
- Having lived in four countries by the age of thirty, adapting to unfamiliar customs had become second nature to him.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.