Did you know?
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."
—
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
The Commission ordered Google to halt self-preferencing practices and resolve inherent conflicts of interest.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 6 Sep. 2025
The risk with this approach is that Harvard would live to fight another day, but become complicit in establishing a precedent that goes against the fundamental rights inherent in our democracy.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 5 Sep. 2025
The medium-format sensor has some inherent advantages.
—PC Magazine, 4 Sep. 2025
These movies commit to the dusty interior decoration and inherent sadness of their ghost stories, but have little feel for the profound interfamily dynamics therein.
—J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inherent
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 6 Sep. 2025
The risk with this approach is that Harvard would live to fight another day, but become complicit in establishing a precedent that goes against the fundamental rights inherent in our democracy.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 5 Sep. 2025
The medium-format sensor has some inherent advantages.
—PC Magazine, 4 Sep. 2025
These movies commit to the dusty interior decoration and inherent sadness of their ghost stories, but have little feel for the profound interfamily dynamics therein.
—J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 3 Sep. 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 10 Sep. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share