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Definitions

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

  1. adj. Of or relating to a condition that is present at birth, as a result of either heredity or environmental influences: a congenital heart defect; congenital syphilis.
  2. adj. Being or having an essential characteristic as if by nature; inherent or inveterate: "the congenital American optimism that denies conflicts and imagines all stories having happy endings” ( Robert J. Samuelson). See Synonyms at innate.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

  1. Produced or existing at birth; innate; native: as, congenital disease; congenital deformity.

Wiktionary

  1. adj. Present since birth.

GNU Webster's 1913

  1. adj. Existing at, or dating from, birth; pertaining to one from birth; born with one; connate; constitutional; natural. See connate and native.

WordNet 3.0

  1. adj. present at birth but not necessarily hereditary; acquired during fetal development

Etymologies

  1. From Latin congenitus : com-, com- + genitus, born, past participle of gignere, to bear; see genə- in Indo-European roots.

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‘congenital’ has been looked up 4636 times, loved by 3 people, added to 33 lists, and has a Scrabble score of 13.