tendency

noun

ten·​den·​cy ˈten-dən(t)-sē 

plural tendencies

1

a

: a proneness to a particular kind of thought or action

b

: direction or approach toward a place, object, effect, or limit

2

a

: the purposeful trend of something written or said : aim

b

: deliberate but indirect advocacy

Synonyms

• proneness
• way
• propensity

Choose the Right Synonym for tendency

tendency, trend, drift, tenor, current mean movement in a particular direction.

tendency implies an inclination sometimes amounting to an impelling force.

a general tendency toward inflation

trend applies to the general direction maintained by a winding or irregular course.

the long-term trend of the stock market is upward

drift may apply to a tendency determined by external forces

the drift of the population away from large cities

or it may apply to an underlying or obscure trend of meaning or discourse.

got the drift of her argument

tenor stresses a clearly perceptible direction and a continuous, undeviating course.

the tenor of the times

current implies a clearly defined but not necessarily unalterable course.

an encounter that changed the current of my life

Examples of tendency in a Sentence

The economy has shown a general tendency toward inflation.

a tendency to drop things

Recent Examples on the Web

The bill ultimately continues a generations-long Republican tendency to transfer wealth upward while abandoning working Americans. Davis: The wealth transfer Trump seeks is from government to taxpayers. —Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 July 2025

Traits shape your willingness to try new things, your perception of effort, and your comfort level in different environments—making exercise a natural outlet for expressing these tendencies, said Matthew Sacco, PhD, a sports medicine psychologist at Cleveland Clinic. —Brian Mastroianni, Health, 9 July 2025

This practice has fostered a tendency to conflate diagnosis with management frameworks, confuse co-morbidities with symptoms, and ultimately blur the distinction between obesity as a risk factor and as a disease state. —Francesco Rubino, Time, 9 July 2025

The region of Texas where flash flooding killed more than 100 people -- including more than two dozen campers -- is known for its tendency to experience flood emergencies, according to experts. —ABC News, 7 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Medieval Latin tendentia, noun derivative of Latin tendent-, tendens, present participle of tendere "to extend outward, stretch, spread out, direct (one's course), aim (at a purpose)" (Medieval Latin, "to lead toward, move in a particular direction") — more at tender entry 3

First Known Use

1628, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Phrases Containing tendency

• central tendency
• counter-tendency

Rhymes for tendency

• pendency
• ascendancy
• ascendency
• dependency
• independency
• interdependency
• superintendency

Kids Definition

tendency

noun

ten·​den·​cy ˈten-dən-sē 

plural tendencies

1

: a direction or approach toward a place, object, result, or limit

2

: a leaning toward a particular kind of thought or action