Inherent
/ɪnˈhɪərənt/
adjectiveB2
Definition
Inherent describes a quality or characteristic that is always present in something and cannot be separated from it. This means the quality is part of the basic nature or essence of that thing, not added or temporary.
Was this helpful?
See It in Action
A natural and permanent quality of something
- •Trustworthiness is inherent in a good friendship.
- •The risks are inherent in any adventure.
- •Freedom of speech is an inherent right in many countries.
Something that exists as a basic part of a system or object
- •The inherent design of the machine makes it very efficient.
- •There are inherent dangers in working with electricity.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "inherent" like "natural" or "built-in," but more permanent and essential, not just usual
- ✓Picture a tree: its green leaves are inherent because they grow naturally and always belong to it
- ✓It's the feeling that something is a deep part of who you are, like your eye color or your smile style
- ✓Sounds like "in-HERE-ent" → imagine something living "in here" inside something else, always present
- ✓Think of a diamond's hardness as inherent—it's not from outside but part of the diamond itself
- ✓NOT like "added" or "extra" which come from outside, inherent means inside and permanent
- ✓NOT like "temporary" which lasts only a short time, inherent means always there
- ✓NOT like "learned" which you get from experience, inherent is part of the original nature
Try Other Words
- •Built-in: a quality or feature that is fixed and always part of something (Use when talking about features designed to be part of something)
- •Intrinsic: belonging naturally and completely to something (Use in formal or scientific contexts)
- •Essential: very important and necessary (Use when emphasizing the importance of the quality)
Unboxing
- •Prefix "in-" means "inside" or "within"
- •Root "here" from Latin "haerere," meaning "to stick" or "to cling"
- •Suffix "-ent" forms adjectives meaning "having the quality of"
- •Origin: from Latin "inherens," meaning "sticking to" or "attached"
- •Historically used to describe qualities that stick closely to a person or thing, not easily removed
- •Today, used to describe natural qualities or features that belong deeply to something
Reflect & Connect
•Can something change if its inherent qualities change, or are they always fixed?
•How do inherent qualities affect the way we understand people or objects around us?
Fill in the blanks
1.The dangers inherent in climbing mountains mean you must ___ careful preparation.
2.Creativity is inherent ___ many artists, making their work special.
3.Unlike skills learned later, inherent traits are ___ part of a person from birth.
4.When a machine has inherent flaws, it means those problems ___ built into its design.
5.People often confuse inherent qualities with ___ features that can be added or removed.
6.The risks inherent ___ the job require workers to follow strict safety rules.
7.If a quality is inherent, it usually cannot be ___ or separated from the object or person.