inclination

noun in·cli·na·tion \ ˌin-klə-ˈnā-shən , ˌiŋ- \

Updated on: 19 Apr 2018

Definition of inclination

1 a obsolete : natural disposition : character

b : a particular disposition of mind or character : propensity; especially : liking

had little inclination for housekeeping

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

a : bow, nod

b : a tilting of something

3 a : 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

4 : a tendency to a particular aspect, state, character, or action

the clutch has an inclination to slip

—

inclinational

play \ˌin-klə-ˈnā-shnəl, -shə-nᵊl, ˌiŋ-\ adjective

See inclination defined for English-language learners

See inclination defined for kids

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 of inclination from the Web

Everything rests on the inclinations and decisions of one 33-year-old.

— david kirkpatrick, Time, "The Facebook Defect," 12 Apr. 2018
What happens when a soccer player who had an inclination to try tennis gets paired as a doubles partner with a former competitive swimmer who likewise entered high school as a tennis novice?

— glae thien, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Doubles partners good fit for Patrick Henry tennis team," 9 Apr. 2018
The unusual campaign aims to overcome Trump's inclination to dispatch top officials with little warning.

— bloomberg news, NOLA.com, "Army of conservative allies rallying to save embattled EPA chief," 5 Apr. 2018
A quarter century later, Homewood and the Center are jointly celebrating their respective milestone anniversaries with a collaboration intended to tap the artistic inclinations of area residents and businesses.

— dennis sullivan, Daily Southtown, "Homewood inviting artists to take a seat for public art project," 4 Apr. 2018
The answer, suggested here, is anybody with the inclination or the incentive to do so.

— gary thompson, Philly.com, "'Death of Stalin': See it because Putin doesn't want you to, and because it's funny," 21 Mar. 2018
However, the space station will re-enter somewhere between the latitudes of 43 degrees north and 43 degrees south, based on its current orbital inclination.

— elizabeth howell, Scientific American, "Chinese Space Station Could Crash to Earth on Easter Weekend," 27 Mar. 2018
The president needs a realistic assessment of the economy, not a validation of his inclinations.

— roger showley, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Trump's new economist: Good choice?," 23 Mar. 2018
The result was a team, in shape and in inclination, that reflected the formula that has brought Mourinho such success over the last 15 years.

— rory smith, New York Times, "Manchester United Tops Liverpool, Without Artistry and, Significantly, Without Pogba," 10 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.

First Known Use of inclination

14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

inclination Synonyms

Synonyms

affection, affinity, aptitude, bent, bias, bone, devices, disposition, genius, habitude, impulse, leaning, partiality, penchant, predilection, predisposition, proclivity, propensity, tendency, turn;

Near Antonyms

allergy, averseness, aversion, disfavor, disinclination, dislike, disliking, disrelish, distaste;

detachment, impartiality, neutrality, objectivity;

apathy, disinterestedness, indifference, insouciance, nonchalance, unconcern;

endowment, faculty, flair, genius, gift, knack, talent;

addiction, appetite, fancy, fondness, like, liking, preference, taste;

forte, speciality, specialty;

convention, custom, habit, pattern, practice (also practise), routine, trick, way, wont;

eccentricity, idiosyncrasy, kink, oddity, peculiarity, quirk, singularity;

INCLINATION Defined for English Language Learners

inclination

noun

Definition of inclination for English Language Learners

: a feeling of wanting to do something : a tendency to do something
: a slanting surface
: the act of bending your head or body forward : the act of inclining your head or body

INCLINATION Defined for Kids

inclination

noun in·cli·na·tion \ ˌin-klə-ˈnā-shən \

Definition of inclination for Students

1 : an act or the action of bending or leaning

2 : a usually favorable feeling toward something

His inclination was to walk rather than drive.

3 : ²slant, tilt

a steep inclination

Medical Dictionary

inclination

noun in·cli·na·tion \ ˌin-klə-ˈnā-shən, ˌiŋ- \

medical Definition of inclination

: a deviation from the true vertical or horizontal; especially : the deviation of the long axis of a tooth or of the slope of a cusp from the vertical