second nature

noun
1.
an acquired habit or tendency in one's character that is so deeply ingrained as to appear automatic:
Neatness is second nature to him.
Origin
1655-65
Examples from the web for second nature
  • The volunteer's disposition is second nature to this nation.
  • The scientific jargon for any given field is certainly second nature those involved, but not for viewers outside the area.
  • To launch into audacious rapprochements and impossible implants is second nature to him.
  • Conformity to the discipline of a small society had become almost his second nature.
  • But the show moved so quickly that it became second nature for viewers to stop nitpicking and enjoy the ride.
  • It became second nature to me to explore how and where things were done.
  • So in that sense, it's really second nature to us to be collaborating.
  • We refine and refine until the recipe and plating are second nature, tasting constantly along the way.
  • After a few years of seeing these icons on multiple appliances, they become second nature to us.
  • Being on the tube is second nature for him-this big lug couldn't be more tubular.
British Dictionary definitions for second nature

second nature

noun
1.
a habit, characteristic, etc, not innate but so long practised or acquired as to seem so
Word Origin and History for second nature
n.

late 14c., from Latin secundum naturam "according to nature" (Augustine, Macrobius, etc.), literally "following nature;" from medieval Aristotelian philosophy, contrasted to phenomena that were super naturam ("above nature," such as God's grace), extra naturam ("outside nature"), supra naturam ("beyond nature," such as miracles), contra naturam "against nature," etc.

Idioms and Phrases with second nature

second nature

A habit or mode of behavior so long practiced that it seems innate, as in Driving in heavy traffic is second nature to Chris. This expression is a shortened form of an ancient proverb, Custom (or usage) is a second nature, first recorded in 1390. It alludes to the fact that very frequently repeating something makes it seem completely natural or inborn.