inflection
noun
in·flec·tion
in-ˈflek-shən 
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
b
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
As a catalyst for the upgrade, Fisher pointed to an inflection in earnings ahead for shares of Deere.
—
Liz Napolitano,pia Singh, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2025
The widely varied performances are quietly yet keenly expressive; Reichardt’s dialogue has enticingly odd spin (starting with an ingenious monologue for a precocious child) and the cast delivers it with pinpoint inflections.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 15 Oct. 2025
Her repetitions and stammerings and strange inflections were very much her own, as a perusal of her interviews will attest.
—Matt Zoller Seitz, Vulture, 12 Oct. 2025
From bouncy dancehall riddims and hip-hop production inflections to tender country and western guitar licks, Treasure Self Love distills Iké’s wide range of childhood music into a succinct 11-track study of achieving wholeness by unflinchingly examining the darkest parts of your past.
—Kyle Denis, Billboard, 18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inflection
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Liz Napolitano,pia Singh, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2025
The widely varied performances are quietly yet keenly expressive; Reichardt’s dialogue has enticingly odd spin (starting with an ingenious monologue for a precocious child) and the cast delivers it with pinpoint inflections.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 15 Oct. 2025
Her repetitions and stammerings and strange inflections were very much her own, as a perusal of her interviews will attest.
—Matt Zoller Seitz, Vulture, 12 Oct. 2025
From bouncy dancehall riddims and hip-hop production inflections to tender country and western guitar licks, Treasure Self Love distills Iké’s wide range of childhood music into a succinct 11-track study of achieving wholeness by unflinchingly examining the darkest parts of your past.
—Kyle Denis, Billboard, 18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inflection
Cite this Entry
“Inflection.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inflection. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
inflection
noun
in·flec·tion
in-ˈflek-shən
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
adjective
-shnəl
-shən-ᵊl
Medical Definition
inflection
noun
in·flec·tion
variants
or chiefly British inflexion
: the act or result of curving or bending
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