congenital

[kuhn-jen-i-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.

congenital

/ 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

congenital

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

congenital

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

Other Word Forms

• congenitally adverb
• congenitalness noun
• noncongenital adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of congenital¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of congenital¹

C18: from Latin congenitus born together with, from genitus born, from gignere to bear, beget

Synonym Study

See innate.

Example Sentences

Tidball was born with a congenital disability, which affects all four limbs.

From BBC

She was initially diagnosed with arthritis, but after a series of tests, doctors detected something much more serious: a rare congenital heart disease that required open-heart surgery.

From Los Angeles Times

Thirty one patients and their companions arrived Rome, Milan, and Pisa this week, all with serious congenital diseases, wounds or amputations, the Italian foreign ministry said.

From BBC

A certificate from 1947 registers "measles" and "congenital idiot" as the causes of his death.

From BBC

Anna points to what is entered under cause of death – “congenital idiot” and “measles”.

From BBC

Related Words

• ingrained 
• inveterate 

When To Use

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.