What is the meaning of congenital

Congenital Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

con·gen·i·tal kən-ˈje-nə-tᵊl

kän-

: existing at or dating from birth

congenital deafness

… a congenital neuromuscular disease that stiffens joints and weakens muscles. Lara Cerri

… scientists hope to also understand more common malformations that are congenital but not inherited. Lee Siegel

The skin markings are a benign congenital developmental condition and, on palpation, feel no different to normal skin. Elizabeth Symes

: constituting an essential characteristic : inherent

A congenital taste for Greco-Roman themes, which had once found expression in his own paintings, now took the form of a pronounced weakness for buying up statuettes and medallions depicting gods and heroes of classical times. Anthony Powell

At each roll, the ship favored its congenital list, easing farther and farther toward that soft starboard side … Robert Stone

: acquired during development in the uterus and not through heredity

Antiparasitic treatment is recommended in acute or congenital infection, in children with chronic infection, and in immunosuppressed patients. Eric M. Isselbacher et al.

PCBs pass through the placenta, cause congenital poisoning, and remain in human tissues for long intervals. Scientific American Medicine Bulletin

: being such by nature

a congenital liar

The truth was that Ward was a congenital name-dropper and snob who—though he was undoubtedly treated unfairly—largely brought his troubles upon himself. Anthony Howard

congenitally

kən-ˈje-nə-tᵊl-ē

kän-

adverb

congenitally deaf

Gwynn, who seems congenitally incapable of a frown, didn't mention the matter until I brought it up. Roger Angell

Synonyms

born
natural

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Example Sentences

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 The congenital condition now known as trisomy 21 was previously called Down syndrome, a name chosen to replace the unacceptable term Mongolism. Helen Branswell, STAT, 28 Nov. 2022 Shortly after the delivery, the mom of six learned that Jones was born with Down syndrome as well as a rare congenital colon abnormality that required surgery and a monthlong stay in the hospital's neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Georgia Slater, Peoplemag, 4 Nov. 2022 Pistorius was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, with a congenital abnormality that left him without a fibula bone in either of his lower legs. Fox News, 8 July 2022 In January, Bruce announced her plans to retire at the end of 2022 in a lengthy blog post that disclosed her struggle to process the death of her mother in June 2021 and the subsequent discovery of a congenital heart condition in October. Laine Higgins, WSJ, 1 Nov. 2022 Hennessy had to have open-heart surgery after doctors found out about a congenital heart condition the family didn’t know about. Scott Thompson, Fox News, 23 Oct. 2022 The couple's son, Billy, was born with a congenital heart condition and had to undergo three heart surgeries after he was born. Jolene Latimer, Peoplemag, 13 Sep. 2022 For a fishing fundraiser over the rest of their Alaskan weekend, the Safari Club president had signed up his girlfriend as an administrative assistant and medical aide, due to Larry’s congenital heart condition. Matt Sullivan, Rolling Stone, 2 July 2022 The uniquely female risks for mammals include cancer and congenital syndromes. Corinne Purtillstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2022 See More

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.

Word History

Etymology

Latin congenitus, from com- + genitus, past participle of gignere to bring forth — more at kin

First Known Use

1796, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler

The first known use of congenital was in 1796

See more words from the same year

Dictionary Entries Near

congenital

congenialness

congenital

congenital adrenal hyperplasia

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“Congenital. ” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/congenital. Accessed 13 Dec. 2022.

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Kids Definition

congenital

adjective

con·gen·i·tal kən-ˈjen-ə-tᵊl

: existing at or dating from birth

congenital heart disease

Medical Definition

congenital

adjective

con·gen·i·tal kän-ˈjen-ə-tᵊl

: existing at or dating from birth

congenital deafness

congenital heart disease

: acquired during development in the uterus and not through heredity

Our study primarily aimed to find out the birth prevalence of congenital toxoplasma infection in live neonates … Morten Lebech et al. , The Lancet

compare acquired sense 1, familial, hereditary

congenitally

-tᵊl-ē

adverb

congenitally deaf

a congenitally faulty heart valve

Congenital Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com

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[ kuhn-jen-i-tl ]

/ kənˈdʒɛn ɪ tl /

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See synonyms for: congenital / congenitally on Thesaurus.com

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Definition of congenital

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.

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Origin of congenital

First recorded in 1790–1800; from Latin congenit(us) “inborn, innate” (con- con- + geni-, variant stem of gignere “to give birth” + -tus past participle suffix) + -al¹

synonym study for congenital

1. See innate.

OTHER WORDS FROM congenital

con·gen·i·tal·ly, adverbcon·gen·i·tal·ness, nounnon·con·gen·i·tal, adjective

Words nearby congenital

congeneric, congenetic, congenial, congeniality, congenic, congenital, congenitally, conger, congeries, congest, congested

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

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.

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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) October 25, 2020

LB Zachary Orr has announced he is retiring from the NFL due to a congenital neck/spine condition. 😢

— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) January 20, 2017

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) October 22, 2020

Try using

congenital!

True or False?

The word congenital refers to a condition that is developed soon after birth.

Words related to congenital

ingrained, inveterate, complete, connate, connatural, constitutional, inbred, indigenous, indwelling, inherent, inherited, innate, intrinsic, latent, native, natural, thorough, unacquired, utter

How to use congenital in a sentence

Techshot also envisions someday using artificial tissue and organs to help treat diseases, and even congenital defects.
NASA inches closer to printing artificial organs in space|Tatyana Woodall|June 18, 2021|MIT Technology Review
Despite having been diagnosed with a congenital heart condition,“she worked day and night—walked in the heat to different centers as and when assigned,” Dinesh says.
'Our Lives Don't Matter.' India's Female Community Health Workers Say the Government Is Failing to Protect Them From COVID-19|Nilanjana Bhowmick / New Delhi|May 5, 2021|Time
Cunningham-Rundles treats many patients with congenital immune system deficiencies.
What immunosuppressed patients should know about the coronavirus vaccines|Lindsey Bever|April 23, 2021|Washington Post
Early on, my vet back home delivered the crushing news that Scout had a congenital kidney disease.
I have the pandemic to thank for this precious time with my old hound, Teddy|Diana Nyad|December 21, 2020|Washington Post

Mabry’s ex-wife worked in a hospital, so two of their kids, including one with a congenital condition, moved in with him.
As COVID-19 Ravaged This Iowa City, Officials Discovered Meatpacking Executives Were the Ones in Charge|by Michael Grabell and Bernice Yeung|December 21, 2020|ProPublica

British Dictionary definitions for congenital

congenital

/ (kənˈdʒɛnɪtəl) /

adjective

denoting or relating to any nonhereditary condition, esp an abnormal condition, existing at birthcongenital blindness

informal complete, as if from birtha congenital idiot

Derived forms of congenital

congenitally, adverbcongenitalness, noun

Word Origin for congenital

C18: from Latin congenitus born together with, from genitus born, from gignere to bear, beget

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for congenital

congenital

[ kən-jĕn′ĭ-tl ]

Existing at or before birth, as a defect or medical condition.

Cultural definitions for congenital

congenital

[ (kuhn-jen-i-tl) ]

A descriptive term for a disease or condition that is present at birth. A congenital disease can be either hereditary or acquired.

Congenital heart defects in children

Congenital heart disease - a disease of the heart valves, in which the organ begins to work incorrectly. As a result of a congenital change in the structure of the valvular apparatus, cardiac partitions, walls or large vessels extending from the heart, a violation of the blood flow of the heart occurs. The disease may progress. In some cases, death is possible.

Congenital heart defects occur with a frequency of 6-8 cases per thousand births, which is 30% of all malformations. They rank first in terms of mortality of newborns and children of the first year of life. After the first year of life, mortality decreases sharply, and in the period from 1 year to 15 years, no more than 5% of children die.

The earlier a congenital heart disease is detected, the greater the hope for its timely treatment.

Causes

Rubella virus.
Influenza viruses, as well as some others, if their effect falls on the first 3 months of pregnancy.
Bacterial infections.
Presence of a genetic predisposition.

Symptoms

Blue or bluish discoloration of the skin, lips, ears.
The appearance of bluish skin when breastfeeding, the cry of the baby.
Pale skin and cold extremities (with "pale vices").
Murmurs in the heart.
Signs of heart failure.
Changes in the electrocardiogram, x-rays, echocardiography (ultrasound of the heart).

Of course, with such symptoms, concerned parents immediately go to the doctor, and heart disease is diagnosed in the first months of the child's life, or at birth during the accompanying first examinations. Small defects sometimes manifest themselves only as unusual heart murmurs when listening during regular examinations by a pediatrician.

Even with a congenital heart disease, for some time after birth, the child may look quite healthy outwardly during the first ten years of life. However, in the future, heart disease begins to manifest itself: the child lags behind in physical development, shortness of breath appears during physical exertion, pallor or even cyanosis of the skin.

To establish a true diagnosis, a comprehensive examination of the heart using modern high-tech equipment is necessary.

Surgical treatment is the most effective, and operations are often performed on newborns and children from the first year of life. Most often, the question of surgical treatment is raised even before the birth of the child, if it concerns "blue defects". Therefore, in such cases, childbirth should take place in maternity hospitals at cardiac surgical hospitals. Therapeutic treatment is necessary if the timing of the operation can be postponed to a later date. If the question is about "pale malformations", then the treatment will depend on how the defect behaves as the child grows. Most likely, all treatment will be therapeutic.

Prevention

Since the causes of congenital heart defects are still poorly understood, it is difficult to determine the necessary preventive measures that would guarantee the prevention of the development of congenital heart defects. However, parents' concern for their own health can significantly reduce the risk of congenital diseases in a child.

More about pediatric cardiology at YugMed clinic

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Multiple congenital malformations (MCD)

December 17, 2019

Multiple congenital malformations (MCD) are said to be when there is a violation of the structure and functioning of at least two organs or systems. Usually, such changes have a strong impact on life, often causing intrauterine fetal death or neonatal death. Some multiple congenital malformations (MCHD) do not reduce life expectancy, but reduce its quality, require constant monitoring by specialists or certain conditions of detention.

Causes of multiple congenital malformations

All etiological factors of CMDS can be divided into two groups:

endogenous — include gene, genomic and chromosomal mutations, diseases of the endocrine system, metabolic disorders, parental age;
exogenous - physical (injuries), chemical (drugs, industrial and household chemicals) and biological (viruses, bacteria) agents.

These causes lead to chromosomal, gene and genomic disorders, affect the processes of cellular and tissue development. A large number of multiple congenital malformations (MCDs) differ in the type of inheritance, pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, and prognosis for the patient.

Examples of multiple congenital malformations (MCD)

Down syndrome. It develops as a result of trisomy on the 21st chromosome. Patients have characteristic facial features, suffer from mental and speech retardation, they often have muscle hypotension, cataracts, and heart defects. The average life expectancy is about 50 years.
Edwards syndrome. This type of multiple congenital malformations (MCD) is caused by trisomy on the 18th chromosome. In patients, a violation of the structure of the skull, the absence or narrowing of the auditory canal, a wide chest, malformations of the cardiovascular system, cerebellar hypoplasia, weak muscle tone, convulsions, and severe mental retardation are detected. Characterized by high mortality.
Marfan syndrome. It occurs when there is a mutation in the gene that codes for the formation of fibrillin. This compound is part of almost all elastic fibers, so patients have pathology of the musculoskeletal system, organs of vision, and blood vessels. With regular and proper treatment, life expectancy does not decrease.

Other types of multiple congenital malformations (MCD) have a significant impact on human life. In this case, only symptomatic treatment is possible, since it is impossible to change defects in genes or chromosomes.

Methods of diagnosis

Diagnosis of multiple congenital malformations (MCD) can be carried out prenatally and postnatally. In the first case, screening studies are carried out, which include ultrasound of the fetus and a blood test for specific proteins. This combination makes it possible to identify a large number of multiple congenital malformations (MCDs). The doctor may also prescribe additional diagnostic methods: chorionic villus biopsy and amniocentesis.

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