Congenital
/kənˈdʒɛn.ɪ.təl/noun
Present from birth.
Did you know?Congenital ultimately comes from Latin connātus, meaning “born together” or “inborn,” so the word originally points to something that arrives with you, not something you become later.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*gene-
“to give birth, beget, be born”
Latin
Latin
gignere
“to beget, produce, bring forth”
Latin
Latin
congenitus
“born together, inborn”
Late Latin
Latin
congenitalis
“inborn, innate”
Middle English
English
congenital
“existing from birth”