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congenitally

congenitally

1 7.3
In a way that is a natural part of someone's character
  • adverb
  • /kənˈdʒɛnɪtəli/
translation icon : innatamente
  • She was lucky to have Bill; after all, she could have ended up with somebody difficult to live with, somebody like her father, who lived for ESPN, or her ex-brother-in-law, who was congenitally incapable of commitment.
  • congenitally incapable

Examples

  • "Possessed of congenitally criminal brains, these creatures roamed the modern world like misplaced savages.

    Blog text (25)
  • She seems congenitally kind, helping anyone in need without expecting anything in return.

  • The question is, do we see face, place, body and object regions activated from sounds and congenitally blind people listening to those categories of sounds?

  • Not unless you're congenitally insane or irretrievably stupid, no.

  • Your penultimate paragraph is interesting; sometimes I think/hope we're moving in that direction, but most often, I must say, I fear that it's congenitally hard for humans to move forward that way.

    Blog text (29)
  • It reminds me of a friend, a gregarious and charming man who is congenitally incapable of yielding to authority.

    Blog text (30)
  • He is congenitally curious, always eager to learn about the world around him.

  • His congenitally cheerful personality makes him a joy to be around.

Synonyms

naturally
vscongenitally
144 1.8

Because of a person's usual character, not outside influence

is stronger, implying a deeper or more fixed origin
inherently
vscongenitally
119 4.7

Happens naturally as a basic part of something

is about deep character but less about strict fundamentality
by nature
vscongenitally
54 4.1

Someone or something naturally acts that way because of their basic character

leans more toward innate or deeply rooted origin rather than habit
intrinsically
vscongenitally
22 6.4

Part of the basic nature of something

is more about natural habit or character than strict essence
innately
vscongenitally
8 5.6

In a natural way that someone has from birth

is used for deep traits but not only those from birth
natively
vscongenitally
1 3.7

In a natural way that comes from birth or original home

focuses more on deep personal character than origin or environment

Surface Forms

congenitally positive

Morphology

congenitally = congenital (semi-transparent) = congenital + ly

Formally derived from 'congenital' + '-ly', but the figurative meaning 'innately' or 'deeply characteristic' is an extension of the literal sense and may not be fully predictable.

Etymology

Congenitally comes from the root gen- meaning 'birth', the same root in gene and generate. That's why we also use it to say a trait is 'inborn' or naturally part of someone's character.