tendency

[ ten-duhn-see ]

noun

, plural ten·den·cies.

1. a natural or prevailing disposition to move, proceed, or act in some direction or toward some point, end, or result:

   the tendency of falling bodies toward the earth.

2. an inclination, bent, or predisposition to something:

   a tendency to talk too much.

   Synonyms: leaning, proclivity

3. a special and definite purpose in a novel or other literary work.

tendency

/ ˈtɛndənsɪ /

noun

1. often foll by to an inclination, predisposition, propensity, or leaning

   she has a tendency to be frivolous

   a tendency to frivolity

2. the general course, purport, or drift of something, esp a written work
3. a faction, esp one within a political party

   the militant tendency

Other Words From

• counter·tenden·cy noun plural countertendencies

Word History and Origins

Origin of tendency¹

From the Medieval Latin word tendentia, dating back to 1620–30. See tend ¹, -ency

Word History and Origins

Origin of tendency¹

C17: from Medieval Latin tendentia, from Latin tendere to tend ¹

Synonym Study

Tendency, direction, trend, drift refer to inclination or line of action or movement. A tendency is an inclination toward a certain line of action (whether or not the action follows), and is often the result of inherent qualities, nature, or habit: a tendency to procrastinate. Direction is the line along which an object or course of action moves, often toward some set point or intended goal: The change is in the direction of improvement. Trend emphasizes simultaneous movement in a certain direction of a number of factors, although the course or goal may not be clear for any single feature: Business indicators showed a downward trend. Drift emphasizes gradual development as well as direction: the drift of his argument.

Example Sentences

There are, of course, other brakes on the tendency of one-party rule to subvert the system of separation of powers and checks and balances.

From Salon

During her acceptance speech she hit out against the tendency of Western award bodies to group all African artists under the umbrella of "Afrobeats" - a genre of music more associated with Nigeria and West Africa.

From BBC

But if Trump acts on his most unilateralist tendencies, the first diplomat worries, Hegseth and Gabbard would hardly be the people to push back.

From Salon

The two coaches spent enough hours together, tossing around Air Raid ideas on the same Texas Tech staff from 2004 to 2007, to understand each other’s tendencies at a pretty deep level.

From Los Angeles Times

But Trump always cared about having his ego regularly fluffed over boring matters of governance, and this tendency appears to have worsened with age.

From Salon

Related Words

• bias
• habit
• impulse
• leaning
• penchant
• propensity
• shift
• trend
• type
• weakness