(of a disease or medical condition 疾病或健康问题 existing since or before birth 先天的；天生的 congenital abnormalities 先天畸形 Half of all fetuses with the syndrome have a congenital heart defect. 患有这种综合征的胎儿中有一半患有先天性心脏病。
Extra ExamplesTopics Illnessc2Genetic screening can help reduce many congenital diseases. 基因筛查可以帮助减少许多先天性疾病。 Her deafness was congenital. 她的耳聋是先天性的。
- [only before noun]
existing as part of a person’s character and not likely to change 生性的；生就的 She seems to have a congenital inability to tell the truth. 她似乎天生不会说实话。
- [only before noun]
(of a person 人 born with a particular illness 生来有病的 - (figurative)
a congenital liar (= one who will not change) 生性好说谎的人 He's a congenital liar! 他生性好说谎！
- (figurative)
Word Originlate 18th cent.: from Latin congenitus, from con- ‘together’ + genitus (past participle of gignere ‘beget’) + -al.