Inherent means an essential or natural characteristic of a thing, and it can be used to describe qualities that are intrinsic, fundamental, innate or built-in. Some other synonyms for inherent include inherent, intrinsic, ingrained, essential and natural. These words describe characteristics that are inherent in a person or a thing, and cannot be separated from them. For instance, an inherent characteristic of humans is the ability to think critically, while an inherent characteristic of plants is the ability to photosynthesize. Understanding synonyms for inherent helps to provide a better understanding of the range of words that can be used to describe an essential quality of an object or individual.