birth defect

NOUN

congenital abnormality

Synonyms

WEAK

abnormality congenital anomaly congenital defect congenital malformation deformity disability mutation

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Mr. Rodríguez Castro, known as “El Cangrejo”—the crab—because of a birth defect, never finished school.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 22, 2026

If a child also experiences a medical issue, including an extended hospital stay, a serious birth defect or a developmental delay, these problems can be compounded.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2025

During one session, the parents of a daughter with schizencephaly quadriplegia, a rare birth defect, witnessed her successfully feed herself using the system.

From Science Daily • May 9, 2024

Her sibling was born with a birth defect that her parents immediately attributed to the tests.

From BBC • Oct. 3, 2022

From the moment she learned that she was pregnant, my grandmother was again tormented by fears that the baby would suffer a hideous birth defect.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides