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Don't Get Stuck on the Meaning of Inherent
Inherent literally refers to something that is "stuck in" something else so firmly that they can't be separated. A plan may have an inherent flaw that will cause it to fail; a person may have inherent virtues that everyone admires. Since the flaw and the virtues can't be removed, the plan may simply have to be thrown out and the person will remain virtuous forever.
Examples of inherent in a Sentence
It is one more proof that our world has lost the kind of exquisite sensibility displayed by John Milton when he came up with his definition of poetry. He first wrote "simple, sensual, and passionate," but he was bothered by the grossness inherent in "sensual," and so he invented the word "sensuous."
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Florence King, National Review, 24 Sept. 2007
There were those who trusted the innate goodness of humanity, and those who believed in its inherent crookedness.
—Terry Eagleton, Harper's, March 2005
The problem … is inherent and perennial in any democracy, but it has been more severe in ours during the past quarter-century because of the near universal denigration of government, politics and politicians.
—Michael Kinsley, Time, 29 Oct. 2001
He has an inherent sense of fair play.
an inherent concept of justice
Florence King, National Review, 24 Sept. 2007
There were those who trusted the innate goodness of humanity, and those who believed in its inherent crookedness.
—Terry Eagleton, Harper's, March 2005
The problem … is inherent and perennial in any democracy, but it has been more severe in ours during the past quarter-century because of the near universal denigration of government, politics and politicians.
—Michael Kinsley, Time, 29 Oct. 2001
He has an inherent sense of fair play.
an inherent concept of justice
Recent Examples on the Web
Bitcoin’s inherent technical strengths, combined with institutions’ vested interest in its success, position it to evolve into essential infrastructure that powers global markets.
—Luke Xie, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
While the slower speed and emphasis on physics, from the long-distance drop of bullet trajectories to the breakable foundations of structures, are a huge part of Battlefield’s DNA, there’s also just an inherent silliness to some of the tactics that stir joy.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 9 Oct. 2025
Despite the glitz inherent to her album, the backlash is less around what’s lyrically or even artistically present, but her literal business practices.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2025
Yet once someone had suggested the inherent instability in a relationship between writers, there seemed to be no way to defuse the assessment.
—Catherine Lacey, New Yorker, 5 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inherent
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Luke Xie, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
While the slower speed and emphasis on physics, from the long-distance drop of bullet trajectories to the breakable foundations of structures, are a huge part of Battlefield’s DNA, there’s also just an inherent silliness to some of the tactics that stir joy.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 9 Oct. 2025
Despite the glitz inherent to her album, the backlash is less around what’s lyrically or even artistically present, but her literal business practices.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2025
Yet once someone had suggested the inherent instability in a relationship between writers, there seemed to be no way to defuse the assessment.
—Catherine Lacey, New Yorker, 5 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inherent
Cite this Entry
“Inherent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inherent. Accessed 15 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
inherent
adjective
in·her·ent
in-ˈhir-ənt 
-ˈher-
: belonging to or being a part of the nature of a person or thing
an inherent sense of fair play
fluidity is an inherent quality of gas
inherently
adverb
Medical Definition
inherent
adjective
in·her·ent
in-ˈhir-ənt
in-ˈher-
in-ˈher-
: involved in the constitution or essential character of something : belonging by nature
the skin's inherent elasticity—Kathleen C. Engles
Kathleen C. Engles
inherently
adverb
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