congenital
Americanadjective
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of or relating to a condition present at birth, whether inherited or caused by the environment, especially the uterine environment.
-
having by nature a specified character.
a congenital fool.
adjective
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denoting or relating to any nonhereditary condition, esp an abnormal condition, existing at birth
congenital blindness
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informal complete, as if from birth
a congenital idiot
Usage
What does congenital mean? Congenital describes something that is or is related to a condition present from birth or during fetal development. The word congenital can refer to a condition occurring at the time of birth or while the embryo is developing, as in The scientists noticed multiple congenital defects in the kangaroo embryos. Informally, congenital can mean something is so complete that it seems to have been that way since birth, as in Frank is a congenital liar. Congenital can refer to a condition that is either inherited or caused by the environment, however there is an important point to remember. In medicine, the word congenital is a general term to refer to any disease that can be present since birth. However, congenital isn’t used interchangeably with words like genetic or hereditary. This is because not all diseases or disorders that can happen during pregnancy (meaning they are congenital) are caused by genes or inheritance. Congenital is similar to the words innate and inborn, however congenital can refer to pre-birth development and, even in the informal sense, usually refers to negative traits or qualities. Example: The rats’ misshapen feet appear to be a congenital defect that they have had since they were born.
Synonym Usage
See innate.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of congenital
First recorded in 1790–1800; from Latin congenit(us) “inborn, innate” ( con- con- + geni-, variant stem of gignere “to give birth” + -tus past participle suffix) + -al 1
Explanation
Congenital refers to something present at birth but not necessarily inherited from the parents. Babies with heart disorders developed in utero can live long and productive lives, in spite of their congenital birth defect. Congenital derives from the Latin genus, to beget. Something that is present at one’s begetting, during fetal development, or at birth is congenital. Fetal alcohol syndrome, which develops in fetuses if their mothers are drinking heavily while pregnant, is a congenital disorder. You might also use congenital to describe something seemingly inborn "a congenital sense of humor," or a "congenital faith."
Vocabulary lists containing congenital
To Kill a Mockingbird
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"Simon's Saga," Vocabulary from Episode 15
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A Confederacy of Dunces
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
When a child has a congenital heart defect without other complications, the condition is classified as non-syndromic congenital heart disease.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 15, 2026
To investigate the system, the researchers combined genetic information from people with congenital heart defects with experiments involving zebrafish, human cells and mouse stem cells.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 15, 2026
Larson’s office later attributed the seizure to a congenital heart issue, adding that he’d been prescribed medication to help.
From Slate ● Sep. 2, 2026
She added that researchers still did not fully understand why some health outcomes, including congenital anomalies and stillbirths, appear higher in Wales than in parts of the UK, and believes further research is needed.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
Distressed by the political disarray in the state governments in the 1780s and the congenital weakness of the Articles of Confederation, Madison had helped mobilize the movement for the Constitutional Convention.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
