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.
There is nothing inherently wrong with that, but it raises the prospect that dividend stocks, often seen as a defensive play, could get caught up in an AI selloff.
From Barron's • Jun. 22, 2026
“Younger generations of scholars especially view Sovietization as an inherently colonial experience on par with Europe’s colonization of Africa and Asia.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 12, 2026
It’s also worth noting that Los Angeles County is the single largest in the country, home to 10 million people, which means the ballot-counting process will inherently take time.
From Slate • Jun. 11, 2026
Beneath the universe’s unrelenting despair, Kripke has always seen “The Boys” as an inherently hopeful story.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2026
“Their staying power,” advised the CIA, “is inherently superior.”
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
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.
