inclinations

noun

plural of inclination
1
as in tendencies
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 tilts
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 inclines
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 inclinations Getty Choosing a college major has always been a big life decision, influenced by not only personal inclinations and talents, but also by starting salaries. — Courtney Connley-Hampton, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026 There were inclinations to not fully believe in their capabilities against Argentina. — Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 4 June 2026 Born to a humble family in the twilight years of the shogunate, Higuchi Natsuko (as she was born) was the fourth child and second daughter of a man with scholarly inclinations, who as a farmer had come to the capital to seek both fortune and rank. — Literary Hub, 28 May 2026 Over the last week or so, the four satellites adjusted their inclinations—the angles of their orbits to the equator—by less than a degree. — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 22 May 2026 Who knew that such daring would lead to a film that avoids these inclinations entirely, especially one that could have so easily leaned into controversial territory? — David Opie, IndieWire, 15 Apr. 2026 Samuel Alito’s inclinations have not been hard to discern lately. — Peter S. Canellos, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2026 Even in the present tense, the characters express no political opinions, taste in movies and music, hobbies—or backstories that shape such inclinations. — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2026 This is the standard for ramp inclinations that are usable for most people, especially wheelchair users. — K. Desbouis, Artforum, 6 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inclinations
  1. tendencies
  2. tilts
  3. inclines
  4. aptitudes
  5. tips
  6. slopes
  7. affinities
  8. bends
Noun
  • Meanwhile, opposition politicians have accused the president of crony capitalist tendencies in the treatment of his brother.
    — Alexis Akwagyiram, semafor.com, 8 July 2026
  • However, under pressure, people become amplified versions of their natural tendencies, and that can be stressful for teams navigating organizational complexity and uncertainty.
    — Nathan Mitchell, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
Definition of tendencies
Noun
  • In ’94 and ’95 with the Vikings, Moon had averaged seven tilts per season of at least 275 passing yards.
    — Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 1 June 2026
  • One which changes profoundly with the tilts and turn of the planet, yet its essence holds true.
    — Nick Scott, Robb Report, 17 May 2026
Definition of tilts
Noun
  • The riverfront includes steep inclines, large rocks and uneven ground that can be difficult for workers or machinery to manage safely.
    — Sophia Buonpane, Kansas City Star, 29 June 2026
  • Combat travel stiffness with simple SITS exercises (shoulder shrugs, inclines, twists, steps) and consider chiropractic care before and after your trip for spinal alignment.
    — Sherry McAllister, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026
Definition of inclines
Noun
  • For this class, the premise is that your purpose in life lies to the intersection of your values, your aptitudes and your interests.
    — Dana Taylor, USA Today, 6 May 2026
  • This model reflects Japan’s long-standing corporate culture, which prioritizes new hires for their general potential—their aptitudes and aspirations, as opposed to their current skill sets or university majors—and then trains them on the job.
    — GRACIA LIU-FARRER, Foreign Affairs, 18 Nov. 2025
Definition of aptitudes
Noun
  • While experts have tips for preparing food at home, dining out means letting someone else do the prep work, including washing produce and cooking food to the right temperature.
    — Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 11 July 2026
  • Police urged anyone with information about the shooting to call CMPD Detective Jackie Carter at 704-432-8477 or the Charlotte Crime Stoppers anonymous tips line at 704-334-1600.
    — Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 11 July 2026
Definition of tips
Noun
  • Officials said continuous rain and hillside torrents loosened soil on slopes, causing makeshift houses to collapse.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 July 2026
  • Pablo Castrillo attacked on the steeper upper slopes to try and distance the Dane from a group of 10, but American road race champion Quinn Simmons worked admirably to keep Pedersen at the front.
    — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 7 July 2026
Definition of slopes
Noun
  • In her memoir, Andrews mentions that her children briefly attended UCLA Lab School and that Joanna had affinities for horseback riding and reading.
    — Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 23 June 2026
  • Spanish society has always had a relatively high tolerance for Latin American immigrants, who speak the local language and share certain cultural affinities.
    — Rogé Karma, The Atlantic, 1 June 2026
Definition of affinities
Noun
  • Voros kept one camera permanently stationed at the highest point of the surrounding hillside; the early episodes are built on stark, isolating compositions where a single figure is dwarfed by snowcapped peaks and river bends.
    — Condé Nast Traveler, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 July 2026
  • When two stars align almost perfectly from Earth’s perspective, the gravity of the nearer one bends and magnifies the light from the more distant star, acting like a cosmic magnifying glass.
    — Sam Macdonald, Scientific American, 6 July 2026
Definition of bends

Browse Nearby Words

inclination
inclinations
incline
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Inclinations.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inclinations. Accessed 15 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on inclinations

Nglish: Translation of inclinations for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

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

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

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

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
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
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All