tendency

noun

ten·​den·​cy ˈten-dən(t)-sē 

plural tendencies

1

a

: a proneness to a particular kind of thought or action

b

: direction or approach toward a place, object, effect, or limit

2

a

: the purposeful trend of something written or said : aim

b

: deliberate but indirect advocacy

Synonyms of tendency

• proneness
• way
• propensity

Choose the Right Synonym for tendency

tendency, trend, drift, tenor, current mean movement in a particular direction.

tendency implies an inclination sometimes amounting to an impelling force.

a general tendency toward inflation

trend applies to the general direction maintained by a winding or irregular course.

the long-term trend of the stock market is upward

drift may apply to a tendency determined by external forces

the drift of the population away from large cities

or it may apply to an underlying or obscure trend of meaning or discourse.

got the drift of her argument

tenor stresses a clearly perceptible direction and a continuous, undeviating course.

the tenor of the times

current implies a clearly defined but not necessarily unalterable course.

an encounter that changed the current of my life

Examples of tendency in a Sentence

The economy has shown a general tendency toward inflation.

a tendency to drop things

Recent Examples on the Web

Teams get familiar with the arms over the course of a series, and with so many matchups being figured out, hitters start to see tendencies from the pitchers. — David Troy Outkick, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026

At the 2026 Santa Barbara Film Festival, Sweeney also wore a vintage Ceil Chapman gown that resembled that of the look Monroe sported on the cover of LIFE magazine in April 1952, furthering tendencies to point out their likeness. — Mckinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2026

This tendency reached its culmination with the pandemic, when official discourse in places like Brazil and the United States literally began to say that people had to choose between the economy and life. — Via Haymarket Books, Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2026

This combines the annual seasonal pattern, the four-year election cycle and the decadal tendencies (years that end in 6). — Michael Santoli, CNBC, 6 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Medieval Latin tendentia, noun derivative of Latin tendent-, tendens, present participle of tendere "to extend outward, stretch, spread out, direct (one's course), aim (at a purpose)" (Medieval Latin, "to lead toward, move in a particular direction") — more at tender entry 3

First Known Use

1628, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Phrases Containing tendency

• central tendency
• counter-tendency

Rhymes for tendency

• pendency
• ascendancy
• ascendency
• dependency
• independency
• interdependency
• superintendency

Kids Definition

tendency

noun

ten·​den·​cy ˈten-dən-sē 

plural tendencies

1

: a direction or approach toward a place, object, result, or limit

2

: a leaning toward a particular kind of thought or action