intrinsiclike

Intrinsiclike is an adjective used in analytic metaphysics to describe properties that are treated as essentially internal or inherent to an object in common analyses, while also bearing caveats that their status may depend on the theoretical framework or on how the object is individuated. An intrinsiclike property behaves as if it were intrinsic in many standard accounts, but it is not guaranteed to be intrinsic across all theories. The designation signals a middle ground between strictly intrinsic properties, which are wholly independent of an object’s relations to others, and extrinsic properties, which depend on external factors or the object’s environment.

Usage and scope: The term appears in debates about constitution, persistence, and identity over time, where researchers discuss whether certain features track the object’s real essence. For example, some discussions treat certain structural features of a crystal lattice or a molecule as intrinsiclike because they arise from internal arrangement, yet classification can shift if one changes the object’s boundaries or the level of description being used.

Relation to other terms: Intrinsiclike properties contrast with truly extrinsic properties (such as ones tied to an object’s external relations) and with purely intrinsic properties that remain fixed under all permissible decompositions. The label invites caution: it highlights dependence on theory-laden choices such as partition, scale, and the notion of constitution.

Origin and usage: The term is not universally standardized and appears primarily in discussions around the intrinsic–extrinsic distinction and related debates in metaphysics and philosophy of science. See also intrinsic property, extrinsic property, and constitution.