inhering

Inhering is a rarely used verb that would describe the ongoing presence or manifestation of an inherent property within a subject. It is derived from the standard English verb inhere, which is typically used to discuss how characteristics belong to or are intrinsic to something. Because inhering is not a common form in formal writing, most discussions prefer inhere (or its third-person singular form inheres) and the related noun inherence or the adjective inherent.

Etymology and relation to related terms: Inhering builds on the concept behind inhere, which traces its sense to properties that cling to or belong to a substance by virtue of its nature. The related term inherence denotes the state of being inherent, while inherent describes a feature that is essential or intrinsic. In everyday language, writers often choose these standard forms to avoid ambiguity.

Usage and nuance: In philosophy, discussions about properties often state that a property inheres in a substrate, meaning the property exists within and is inseparable from the subject. In practice, the progressive form inhering is uncommon; when used, it would emphasize an ongoing or developing realization of an inherent attribute. For clarity, many authors would recast the idea with inhere or inherent rather than employing inhering.

Distinctions: A separate word, inheriting, refers to receiving something (as in inheritance) rather than to the internal presence of a property. Inhering should not be confused with that legal sense or with the common past tense form of inherit.

Overall, inhering is a nonstandard or stylistic variant of expressing that a property inherently belongs to a subject. More precise and widely accepted terms are inhere, inherence, and inherent.