inherently
Americanadverb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of inherently
Explanation
The adverb inherently means in a natural or innate manner. Some people enjoy your inherently cheerful nature, but it drives other people crazy because they find you annoyingly perky. Inherently is the adverbial form of the adjective inherent. They both come from the Latin word inhaerere, meaning "adhere to," with the root haerere meaning "to stick." Synonyms for inherently include intrinsically and essentially. If you do something inherently, it is so well ingrained in you that it's become part of who you are. If you are inherently late to every meeting, you should probably set your watch 15 minutes early.
Vocabulary lists containing inherently
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954)
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The Fault in Our Stars
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The Poet X
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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.
Screen Rant's Patrice Witherspoon noted: "Inherently, witnessing a woman propel insults at people is humorous, but sadness layers the script, making it deeply moving."
From BBC • Oct. 14, 2024
Inherently, my personal experiences as a working-class daughter of African immigrants who live in Brooklyn, shouldn’t relate to the stories of Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte – but they do.
From Salon • Apr. 23, 2024
Inherently, the lawyers’ need to protect themselves necessarily conflicts to at least some material degree with their obligation to protect their client.
From Slate • May 23, 2023
Beyond her groundbreaking status as Disney’s first Black princess, Norwood’s underrated performance is quietly spellbinding in its own right, with a subtle yet effervescent sweetness that captures the classic’s Inherently Good protagonist.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 12, 2021
Inherently Protestant and commercial, the Dutch abhorred every yoke but that of their own laws, of which they were proud even in their abuse.
From Holland The History of the Netherlands by Grattan, Thomas Colley
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.
