inclination

noun

in·cli·na·tion | \ ˌin-klə-ˈnā-shən

, ˌiŋ-\

Definition of inclination

1 : a tendency to a particular aspect, state, character, or action the clutch has an inclination to slip

2a : a deviation from the true vertical or horizontal : slant also : the degree of such deviation

b : an inclined surface : slope

c(1) : the angle determined by two lines or planes

(2) : the angle made by a line with the x-axis measured counterclockwise from the positive direction of that axis

3 : an act or the action of bending or inclining: such as

a : bow, nod

b : a tilting of something

4a : a particular disposition of mind or character : propensity especially : liking had little inclination for housekeeping

b obsolete : natural disposition : character

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Examples of inclination in a Sentence

She shows no inclination to give in to their demands. He's a loner by inclination. My first inclination was to say no, but I finally decided to do what she asked. I have neither the time nor the inclination to learn about such matters.

Recent Examples on the Web

But this is only one instance in a steady evolution of forming technology to our natural human inclinations. — Darren Orf, Popular Mechanics, "Google Just Proved That Our Voice Is the Ultimate UI," 7 May 2019 Little’s office on Friday declined to comment on the legislation or his inclinations toward the bill. — Keith Ridler, The Seattle Times, "House OKs 2 bills that toughen Idaho initiative process," 29 Mar. 2019 And is his inclination to prefer sycophants and yes-men to competent officials making a crisis more or less likely? — Matthew Yglesias, Vox, "Trump’s incompetence and authoritarianism are both scary," 15 Nov. 2018 After applying foundation, your first inclination might be to reach for your classic setting powder brush, which is large, fluffy, and covers a large surface area in seconds. — Devon Abelman, Allure, "Why You Should Always Apply Setting Powder With a Small Brush," 9 Nov. 2018 But his career also has been defined by his inclination to cut left when everyone expected him to go right. — Brian Straus, SI.com, "Landon Donovan Confounds Again with Surprise Move to Club León," 13 Jan. 2018 So far, neither Congress nor the space agency has shown any inclination to invest in the Big Falcon Rocket under development by SpaceX, the first reusable rocket sized to send large payloads to the surface of Mars. — Eric Berger, Ars Technica, "NASA doesn’t have the funds to get to Mars alone, Ted Cruz says," 7 Aug. 2018 Ansah is set to make $17.143 million this fall, and the Lions have shown no inclination to get a long-term deal done. — Dave Birkett, Detroit Free Press, "Detroit Lions open offseason workouts on Monday: 5 things to watch," 8 Apr. 2018 Krafcik declined to comment on Uber's accident, but emphasized that Waymo still believes its technology will prove to be more reliable than human drivers who have shown an inclination to be distracted or intoxicated while behind the wheel. — Fox News, "Waymo is ready to roar into robotic ride-hailing with 20,000 electric Jaguar I-Pace SUVs," 28 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'inclination.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.