inflection

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noun in·flec·tion \ in-ˈflek-shən \

Definition of inflection

1 :the act or result of curving or bending :bend

2 :change in pitch or loudness of the voice

3 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 :accidence

4 a :change in curvature of an arc or curve from concave to convex or conversely

b :inflection point

See inflection defined for English-language learners

See inflection defined for kids

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 of inflection from the Web

The return to Iraq and the events of the past week marked an inflection point for Mattis, the first former general to serve as a secretary of defense since General George C. Marshall 70 years ago.

— james kitfield, The Atlantic, "How James Mattis Tried to Explain Trump to the World," 26 Aug. 2017
Inflection points September 29 The debt-limit deadline.

— eric levitz, Daily Intelligencer, "The Republican Budget Fight, Explained in 5 Minutes," 24 Aug. 2017
The statue of Lee was already slated for removal by the city, but the Battle of Charlottesville should be an inflection point in the broader debate over Confederate statuary.

— rich lowry, National Review, "Mothball the Confederate Monuments," 15 Aug. 2017
The natural talent belted out the chorus, adding his own inflection and sliding notes to the amazement of the crowd around him.

— yvonne juris, PEOPLE.com, "WATCH: 12-Year-Old Boy Shows Up Idina Menzel with Powerful Version of ‘Let It Go’," 5 Aug. 2017
The first Justice League already is at an inflection point: Director Zack Snyder has stepped away in mid-production and his successor, Joss Whedon, is said to be doing extensive reshoots.

— kim masters, The Hollywood Reporter, "Ben Affleck's Batman Future in Doubt as Warner Bros. Plots Franchise," 21 July 2017
Q. Many voices are calling this a big inflection point for the bond market.

— stan choe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Fund manager Q&A: How much more will interest rates climb?," 15 July 2017
More: The Fabulous Mr. Patrick is, mostly, inflection.

— amy bartner, Indianapolis Star, "Too 'chunky' to model, this fabulous man became a fashion star anyway," 13 July 2017
The agreements were touted at a signing ceremony that would later be viewed as an inflection point in the Cold War.

— josh lederman, The Christian Science Monitor, "US and Russian leaders meet and the world watches," 7 July 2017

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

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.

First Known Use of inflection

1531

inflection Synonyms

Synonyms

angle, arc, arch, bow, crook, curvature, curve, bend, turn, wind

Related Words

kink, warp; circle, ring, ringlet, round; coil, curl, curlicue (also curlycue); buckle, convolution, flexure, fold, loop, spiral, swirl, twist, winding; incurvature, reflection; decline, inclination, incline, slope; corner, turnoff; dogleg, hairpin

Other Grammar and Linguistics Terms

ablaut, allusion, anacoluthon, diacritic, gerund, idiom, infinitive, metaphor, semiotics, simile

INFLECTION Defined for English Language Learners

inflection

play

noun

Definition of inflection for English Language Learners

: a rise or fall in the sound of a person's voice : a change in the pitch or tone of a person's voice
grammar : a change in the form of a word that occurs when it has a particular use
: a form of a word that occurs when it has a particular use : an inflected form