inflection

noun in·flec·tion \ in-ˈflek-shən \

|Updated on: 14 Jun 2018

Examples: inflection in a Sentence

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

No, this had to be intentionally and purposefully without meaning or inflection.

— mick lasalle, kansascity, "‘On Chesil Beach’ fumbles its story of repressed honeymooners," 7 June 2018
The deep looks into the camera, the outstrenched hands, the rising and falling vocal inflection — were all too-too much for this TV forum.

— david zurawik, baltimoresun.com, "Zurawik: First TV debate with Democratic candidates for governor reveals more than you might expect," 22 May 2018
The village name, Kaser, is the Hebrew word for crown when spoken with a Yiddish inflection.

— joseph berger, New York Times, "Rabbi Mordechai Hager, Leader of Large Hasidic Sect, Dies at 95," 16 Mar. 2018
As her movements and inflections became more animated, the camera pulled out.

— spencer kornhaber, The Atlantic, "The Revelation of Cardi B," 10 Apr. 2018
Meaning was, word for word, expressed through not only her exacting vocal inflection and her precise facial expression, but even the slightest movement of her hands.

— mark swed, latimes.com, "Kathleen Battle, Julia Bullock and the saga of opera singers of color," 5 Apr. 2018
But the exhibition’s political inflection saves it.

— josephine livingstone, The New Republic, "A new show of French garden art at the Met explores the politics of verdant leisure spaces.," 13 Apr. 2018
But when Neumeier invests his duets with emotional inflections, the ballet pays off.

— allan ulrich, San Francisco Chronicle, "As S.F. Ballet readies for festival, Canadian company gives its all in ‘Nijinsky’," 4 Apr. 2018
For though the singsong lyrics could be understood by a 3-year-old, Johnsrud’s gentle melodic inflections and subtle turns of phrase took this music to a more meaningful level, no small feat.

— howard reich, chicagotribune.com, "Mister Rogers' music gets jazzed at Winter's Jazz Club," 23 Mar. 2018

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

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

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inflection Synonyms

Synonyms

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

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