inflection

noun

in·​flec·​tion in-ˈflek-shən How to pronounce inflection (audio)
1
: change in pitch or loudness of the voice
2
a
: the change of form that words undergo to mark such distinctions as those of case, gender, number, tense, person, mood, or voice
b
: a form, suffix, or element involved in such variation
c
3
: the act or result of curving or bending : bend
4
a
: change in curvature of an arc or curve from concave to convex or conversely

Did you know?

Changing the pitch, tone, or loudness of our words are ways we communicate meaning in speech, though not on the printed page. A rising inflection at the end of a sentence generally indicates a question, and a falling inflection indicates a statement, for example. Another way of inflecting words is by adding endings: -s to make a noun plural, -ed to put a verb in the past tense, -er to form the comparative form of an adjective, and so on.

Examples of inflection in a Sentence

She spoke with no inflection. She read the lines with an upward inflection. Most English adjectives do not require inflection. “Gone” and “went” are inflections of the verb “go.” English has fewer inflections than many other languages.
Recent Examples on the Web Other times, if Neva goes on ahead, the inflection will turn to curiosity while Alba searches for her friend. Jason Fanelli, Rolling Stone, 18 Oct. 2024 Payne’s inflections shined the most on ballads like these, where there was nothing but vocals and guitars. Thania Garcia, Variety, 17 Oct. 2024 This small, witty, white-haired person, whose voice still bore the inflection of her Viennese childhood, was a joy to be around. James Marcus, The Atlantic, 10 Oct. 2024 Harris briefly lowers her voice and changes her speech pattern in an apparent attempt to mimic former President Donald Trump and his running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, but otherwise has normal cadence and inflection. Nate Trela, USA TODAY, 24 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for inflection 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'inflection.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1531, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of inflection was in 1531

Dictionary Entries Near inflection

Cite this Entry

“Inflection.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inflection. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

inflection

noun
in·​flec·​tion in-ˈflek-shən How to pronounce inflection (audio)
1
: a change in the pitch or tone of a person's voice
2
: the change in the form of a word showing its case, gender, number, person, tense, mood, voice, or comparison
inflectional
-shnəl
-shən-ᵊl
adjective

Medical Definition

inflection

noun
in·​flec·​tion
variants or chiefly British inflexion
: the act or result of curving or bending

More from Merriam-Webster on inflection

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