congenital

adjective

con·gen·i·tal | \ kən-ˈje-nə-tᵊl

, kän-\

Definition of congenital

1a : existing at or dating from birth congenital deafness

b : constituting an essential characteristic : inherent congenital fear of snakes

c : acquired during development in the uterus and not through heredity congenital syphilis

2 : being such by nature a congenital liar

Other Words from congenital Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about congenital

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Synonyms & Antonyms for congenital

Synonyms

born, natural

Antonyms

nonnatural

Choose the Right Synonym for congenital

innate, inborn, inbred, congenital, hereditary mean not acquired after birth. innate applies to qualities or characteristics that are part of one's inner essential nature. an innate sense of fair play inborn suggests a quality or tendency either actually present at birth or so marked and deep-seated as to seem so. her inborn love of nature inbred suggests something either acquired from parents by heredity or so deeply rooted and ingrained as to seem acquired in that way. inbred political loyalties congenital and hereditary refer to what is acquired before or at birth, the former to things acquired during fetal development and the latter to things transmitted from one's ancestors. a congenital heart murmur eye color is hereditary

Examples of congenital in a Sentence

The irregularity in my backbone is probably congenital. a congenital liar who couldn't speak the truth if his life depended on it

Recent Examples on the Web

According to the CURE International blog, Aldrin’s condition was identified as congenital knee dislocation, which caused his knees to bed the wrong way. — Alexandria Hein, Fox News, "Boy with deformed legs undergoes life-changing surgery at Tebow CURE Hospital," 27 July 2018 But with congenital radioulnar synostosis, a bony bridge forms between the two instead, connecting them together due to underdevelopment of the proximal joint, which connects the radius and ulna bones at the elbow. — Sarah Valenzuela, SELF, "My Congenital Disorder Confuses a Lot of Trainers, So I Have to Be My Own Fitness Expert," 9 Nov. 2018 Common risk factors include congenital heart defects, sickle-cell disease, clotting, or immune disorders; Hudson had none of those. — Kerry Cromwell, Good Housekeeping, "My Little Boy Was Just 7 Years Old When He Had a Catastrophic Stroke," 26 July 2018 One girl has a congenital heart defect and is being treated in New York, according to court documents. — Corinne Ramey, WSJ, "New York Judge Frees Immigrant Pizza Delivery Man," 24 July 2018 Vincent was born with a congenital deformity that left him without rear tibias. — Popular Mechanics, "Nothing Is Impossible for the Cat With 3D-Printed Legs," 8 Dec. 2015 While visiting an orphanage in Bangladesh in 1991, Cindy came across baby Bridget who suffered from a severe cleft palette as well as a congenital heart condition. — Lauren Hubbard, Town & Country, "How John McCain's Children Were Shaped by His Political Career," 27 Aug. 2018 Since opening in 2009, the theme park has been staffed exclusively by about 100 performers under 130 cm (4ft 3in) tall, most of whom have congenital conditions causing dwarfism. — Charlie Campbell / Kunming, Time, "Finding Love in the Kingdom of the Little People," 1 June 2018 Griffin, whose left hand was amputated at age 4 because of amniotic band syndrome, a congenital condition, played very well at weakside linebacker during the minicamp, which concluded Sunday. — Geoffrey C. Arnold, OregonLive.com, "Seattle Seahawks rookie Shaquem Griffin shines during minicamp," 8 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'congenital.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.