Advertisement
Advertisement
congenital
[ kuhn-jen-i-tl ]
adjective
- of or relating to a condition present at birth, whether inherited or caused by the environment, especially the uterine environment.
- having by nature a specified character:
a congenital fool.
congenital
/ əˈɛɪə /
adjective
- denoting or relating to any nonhereditary condition, esp an abnormal condition, existing at birth
congenital blindness
- informal.complete, as if from birth
a congenital idiot
congenital
/ ə-ĕ′ĭ-ٱ /
- Existing at or before birth, as a defect or medical condition.
congenital
- A descriptive term for a disease or condition that is present at birth. A congenital disease can be either hereditary or acquired.
Derived Forms
- DzˈԾٲ, adverb
- DzˈԾٲԱ, noun
Other 51Թ Forms
- Dz···ٲ· adverb
- Dz···ٲ·Ա noun
- ԴDz·Dz···ٲ adjective
51Թ History and Origins
Origin of congenital1
51Թ History and Origins
Origin of congenital1
Synonym Study
Example Sentences
They affirmed that Trump suffers from "a congenital sense of entitlement," whose personality is like that of "street toughs, bullies, abusive husbands and hate-crime perpetrators."
According to the research, the increase in infant mortality due to congenital malformations was consistent with women being denied abortions for non-viable pregnancies - where a pregnancy cannot possibly result in a liveborn baby.
One of the leading causes of infant mortality in the current study along with the Texas study was congenital anomalies.
That’s because an infection during pregnancy can cause microcephaly, which is when a baby's head is much smaller than expected, and other congenital malformations like limb contractures, high muscle tone, eye abnormalities, and hearing loss.
The deaths reviewed by the trust included babies with congenital abnormalities, and newborns and mothers transferred after birth from other units because they required specialist care.
Advertisement
Related 51Թs
More About Congenital
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.
Where does congenital come from?
The first records of congenital come from around 1790. It comes from the Latin congenit(us), meaning “inborn, innate.” Congenital refers to traits or conditions a living thing has had since (or even before) birth.
When used formally, congenital very often refers to medical conditions or disorders that a person is born with. Congenital disorders or defects can be caused by genetics, but not all of them are. For example, congenital heart defects can be inherited or can be a result of the mother smoking cigarettes or having diabetes while pregnant.
Did you know … ?
What are some other forms related to congenital?
- congenitally (adverb)
- congenitalness (noun)
- noncongenital (adjective)
What are some synonyms for congenital?
What are some words that share a root or word element with congenital?
What are some words that often get used in discussing congenital?
How is congenital used in real life?
Congenital is most often used formally to refer to medical disorders and defects that a person is born with.
Just discovered that Arnold Schwarzenegger has the same congenital heart defect as my daughter and I’m very glad to know there’s still hope she’ll become a huge beefcake one day.
— jon bon iver (@kimbaheartsyou)
LB Zachary Orr has announced he is retiring from the NFL due to a congenital neck/spine condition. 😢
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens)
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland's top court ruled Thursday that a law allowing abortion of fetuses with congenital defects is unconstitutional, shutting a loophole in the predominantly Catholic country's abortion laws that are among Europe's strictest.
— Rick Folbaum (@RickFolbaum)
Try using congenital!
True or False?
The word congenital refers to a condition that is developed soon after birth.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Browse