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.
While match times could be adjusted, thunderstorms are inherently difficult to predict precisely, making them one of the more unpredictable risks facing organisers.
From BBC • May 9, 2026
“I think my editors thought there was something inherently funny about taking a suburban Mormon dad and dropping him into this world,” Coppins told Thompson on the Plain English podcast.
From Slate • May 5, 2026
Now confronting the indictment of Rocha Mayo and others, Sheinbaum, who is inherently cautious, may seek to delay the extradition process, requesting that Washington provide more evidence to Mexico’s foreign ministry, which evaluates extradition requests.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 30, 2026
None of this is to say that ordering chicken nuggets — with or without caviar — is inherently a problem.
From Salon • Apr. 25, 2026
But horses are not inherently unbeatable; the Inka simply did not discover quickly enough where they had an advantage: on their roads.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
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.
