congenital

American  

[kuhn-jen-i-tl] / kənˈdʒɛn ɪ tl /

adjective

1. of or relating to a condition present at birth, whether inherited or caused by the environment, especially the uterine environment.

2. having by nature a specified character.

   a congenital fool.

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congenital British  

/ kənˈdʒɛnɪtəl /

adjective

1. denoting or relating to any nonhereditary condition, esp an abnormal condition, existing at birth

   congenital blindness

2. informal complete, as if from birth

   a congenital idiot

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congenital Scientific  

/ kən-jĕn′ĭ-tl /

1. Existing at or before birth, as a defect or medical condition.

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congenital Cultural  

1. A descriptive term for a disease or condition that is present at birth. A congenital disease can be either hereditary or acquired.

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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

• congenitalness
  noun
• noncongenital
  adjective
• congenitally
  adverb

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."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

congenital

Only three young children showed diagnostic signs of congenital treponematosis.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 12, 2026

Zika can spread from a birthing parent to their child in the womb and cause congenital disabilities, which notoriously led to panic after an outbreak erupted in Brazil in 2015.

From Slate ● Aug. 4, 2026

He later was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect but eventually was able to resume his basketball career.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026

Crinetics primarily develops products to treat endocrine disorders, including acromegaly, a rare hormonal disorder caused by the overproduction of growth hormone, and congenital adrenal hyperplasia, a condition that affects the adrenal glands.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026

Presumably the human embryo deprived of oxygen may also develop congenital deformities.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson

Related Words

• ingrained
• inveterate