congenital

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /kənˈdʒɛnɪtəl/ UK /kənˈdʒɛnɪtəl/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

adj
present from birth; inherent or deep-seated

The infant was treated for a congenital heart defect.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · present from birth;... inborn innate inherent inbred native hereditary constitutional

Opposites

acquired adventitious

Word family

Forms congenitally

Derived forms congenitallycongenitalness

Related forms genital genitor congenial engender

Etymology

From Latin congenitus ('born together with'), from con- ('together') + genitus, past participle of gignere ('to beget'), + -al.

congenitus Latin gignere Latin *ǵenh₁- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# congenital

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /kənˈdʒɛnɪtəl/
**IPA (UK):** /kənˈdʒɛnɪtəl/

## Meanings
1. present from birth; inherent or deep-seated

## Examples
- The infant was treated for a congenital heart defect.

## Synonyms
- inborn
- innate
- inherent
- inbred
- native
- hereditary
- constitutional

## Antonyms
- acquired
- adventitious

## Derived Forms
- congenitally
- congenitalness

## Related Forms
- genital
- genitor
- congenial
- engender

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: congenitus
- Root: gignere
- Root: *ǵenh₁-

## Etymology
From Latin congenitus ('born together with'), from con- ('together') + genitus, past participle of gignere ('to beget'), + -al.

## AI Etymology
Congenital is from Latin congenitus ('born together with'), from con- ('together') + genitus, past participle of gignere ('to beget'), + -al. Important recorded forms include congenitus (Latin), gignere (Latin), and *ǵenh₁- (Proto-Indo-European). Morphologically, the word is a built form whose named elements carry part of the historical sense. The current sense covers present from birth; inherent or deep-seated. The wider family includes derived forms such as congenitally and congenitalness and related words such as genital, genitor, congenial, and engender.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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