inherent

adjective in·her·ent \ in-'her-ənt also -ˈhir- \

|Updated on: 14 Sep 2018

Examples: inherent in a Sentence

Editor's Note: Don't Get Stuck on the Meaning of inherent

Definition of inherent

: involved in the constitution or essential character of something : belonging by nature or habit : intrinsic

risks inherent in the venture

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inherently

adverb

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Examples of inherent in a Sentence

It is one more proof that our world has lost the kind of exquisite sensibility displayed by John Milton when he came up with his definition of poetry. He first wrote "simple, sensual, and passionate," but he was bothered by the grossness inherent in "sensual," and so he invented the word "sensuous." —Florence King, National Review, 24 Sept. 2007
There were those who trusted the innate goodness of humanity, and those who believed in its inherent crookedness. —Terry Eagleton, Harper's, March 2005
The problem … is inherent and perennial in any democracy, but it has been more severe in ours during the past quarter-century because of the near universal denigration of government, politics and politicians. —Michael Kinsley, Time, 29 Oct. 2001
He has an inherent sense of fair play.
an inherent concept of justice

Recent Examples of inherent from the Web

But some are tantalized by the power and profit that’s inherent in the whole machine that gets created by the celebrity of a chef.

— casey quackenbush / hong kong, Time, "'We're Not Educated.' The Untold Story of Lung King Heen, the World's First Michelin Three-Star Chinese Restaurant," 12 July 2018
In my view, there’s only one Democratic candidate who could push Trump and his coalition, a nationalistic force inherent in American life but never before so ascendant, back to the shadows.

— logan jenkins, sandiegouniontribune.com, "For true moderates, New Yorker tops Dem dream ticket," 9 July 2018
Recent eruptions of Hawaii’s Kilauea and Guatemala’s Fuego volcanoes remind us of the landscape-altering forces inherent in these natural phenomena.

— mare czinar, azcentral, "Volcanoes in Arizona: Sunset Crater hike shows off eruption's aftermath," 12 June 2018
There have been clear, consistent winners among focus funds, even if their inherent volatility can cause periodic weakness.

— conrad de aenlle, New York Times, "Focusing on a Manager’s Best Stock Ideas May Not Be a Good Idea," 13 Apr. 2018
Most countries treat gun ownership as a right to be earned, but in the U.S. it is treated as an inherent right.

— jerry large, The Seattle Times, "Lives depend on keeping up fight for gun control," 22 Feb. 2018
The inherent elusiveness of neutrinos has prevented astronomers from pinning down the origin of such cosmic wanderers — until now.

— mike wall, NBC News, "High-energy 'ghost particle' traced to distant galaxy in astronomy breakthrough," 12 July 2018
There’s also an inherent nostalgia component driving the product’s appeal.

— madeline buxton, refinery29.com, "How Scooters Became A Go-To Instagram Prop — & The Next Transportation Revolution," 12 July 2018
For all its inherent despair and anxiety, the situation made sense: Innocent children were in danger and families were suffering.

— rhonda garelick, The Cut, "The Thai Cave Rescue Cannot Save Us From National Shame," 11 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'inherent.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Don't Get Stuck on the Meaning of inherent

Inherent literally refers to something that is "stuck in" something else so firmly that they can't be separated. A plan may have an inherent flaw that will cause it to fail; a person may have inherent virtues that everyone admires. Since the flaw and the virtues can't be removed, the plan may simply have to be thrown out and the person will remain virtuous forever.