inclination

noun

ˌin-klə-ˈnā-shən How to pronounce inclination (audio)
Definition of inclinationnext
1
as in tendency
a habitual attraction to some activity or thing her natural inclination to help people in need

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in tilt
the act of positioning or an instance of being positioned at an angle the photographer adjusted the inclination of the sitter's head

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in slope
the degree to which something rises up from a position level with the horizon the inclination of the hill is gentle, so walking up it isn't too bad

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of inclination OpenAI’s closest rival, Anthropic, has shown no inclination to delay its own IPO, which is expected sometime before year’s end. — Alyson Shontell, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026 And a lot of the time, people who have these kinds of inclinations towards children are people who were children who were abused themselves. — Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 25 Sep. 2026 If all goes according to plan, Electron will launch the Owlright, Owlright, Owlright payload into a 37-degree orbital inclination, for deployment at a LEO altitude of 347 miles (559 kilometers). — Josh Dinner, Space.com, 25 Sep. 2026 And yet the movie’s central storyline hints at writer-director Bassam Tariq’s inclination to subvert his own brooding-antihero saga, allowing room for unpredictability and the slightest whiff of impish irreverence. — Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for inclination
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inclination
  1. tendency
  2. tilt
  3. slope
  4. aptitude
  5. incline
  6. devices
  7. affinity
Noun
  • These efforts will be made more difficult by AI’s unpredictable nature, recent cybersecurity issues, and the tendency of AI search tools to reflect back results users want to see.
    — Ashley Gold, semafor.com, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Adeyemi has a tendency to go off on tangents about astrology, tarots, mystical energy.
    — Wisdom Iheanyichukwu, Vanity Fair, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of tendency
Noun
  • For comparison, the Reolink Altas PT Ultra captures true 4K video with a 90-degree field of view and supports 90 degrees of vertical tilt and 355 degrees of horizontal panning.
    — John R. Delaney, PC Magazine, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Slight shifts or tilts — even on the scale of just a few nanometers — can change the pattern of light.
    — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of tilt
Noun
  • Just last month, travel on the railway was partially shuttered because of high tides, which came just weeks after a temporary closure in September due to erosion and slope damage following a strong Pacific storm.
    — Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026
  • For these more demanding tasks, the K70 offers a full-coverage cleaning mode that tackles floors, walls, waterlines and slopes.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of slope
Noun
  • The Duke then entered the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst, where his aptitude for foreign languages was recognized with a prize.
    — Stephanie Bridger-Linning, Vanity Fair, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Naturally, his work at Celine has now been put in conversation with hers, especially because both designers share an aptitude for creating clothes real people want to wear–and, therefore, many of the same fans.
    — Joan Kennedy, Vogue, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of aptitude
Noun
  • Al Fresco Bar Cart Made of solid and veneered walnut with elegant brass details, the Cotu (from the makers of our favorite bar cabinets) is a delightful midcentury-style bar cart that has a distinctive asymmetrical incline on each shelf.
    — Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 6 Nov. 2026
  • There are even conveyor belts to ferry folks up steep inclines – which also makes some of China's most beautiful views easier to reach for those less physically able.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of incline
Noun
  • The highly customizable shapes enable applications ranging from drug delivery systems to energy storage devices.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 2 Nov. 2026
  • That includes implementing basic but effective cybersecurity measures such as making sure devices are up to date, limiting administrator access to systems and backing up important files and data, the NCSC said.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of devices
Noun
  • Her voice has a clear affinity with Vashti Bunyan’s, possessing a maternal warmth and formal poise that can sound tender without becoming mannered.
    — Emma Madden, Pitchfork, 4 Nov. 2026
  • The Gossip Girl alum, whose on-screen alter ego was rarely one to shy away from a fabulous party and who, IRL, famously styles herself, has long shared that affinity for dressing up.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of affinity

Browse Nearby Words

inclement
inclination
inclinations
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Inclination.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inclination. Accessed 9 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of wabi-sabi

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Old-Timey Vehicles

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
woman sitting on floor holding book in front of her face on pink background
Famous Novels, Last Lines Quiz Needless to say, spoiler alert.
See All