plural tendencies
1
: a quality that makes something likely to happen or that makes someone likely to think or behave in a particular way
The door has a tendency to get stuck. [=the door often gets stuck]
She has a tendency to overreact. = She has a tendency toward/towards overreacting. [=she tends to overreact; she often overreacts]
She displayed criminal tendencies [=she behaved in ways that suggested she was going to become a criminal] even when she was very young.
2
: a way of behaving, proceeding, etc., that is developing and becoming more common
There is a growing tendency among young people to continue living with their parents after college. [=more and more young people are continuing to live with their parents after college]
The economy has shown a general tendency toward inflation.
Cite this Entry
“Tendency.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/tendency. Accessed 17 Apr. 2026.
Copy Citation
