inclined
Americanadjective
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deviating in direction from the horizontal or vertical; sloping.
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disposed; of a mind (usually followed byto ).
He was inclined to stay.
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having a physical tendency; leaning.
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tending in a direction that makes an angle with anything else.
adjective
-
having a disposition; tending
-
sloping or slanting
Other Word Forms
- half-inclined adjective
- quasi-inclined adjective
- uninclined adjective
- well-inclined adjective
Etymology
Origin of inclined
First recorded in 1350–1400, inclined is from the Middle English word enclyned. See incline, -ed 2
Explanation
If you're inclined to do something, you want to do it, you like doing it, and you may even have an inherent talent for doing it. Alternatively, if the sidewalk outside your house is inclined, that means it slopes upward. Inclined means that you're likely to do something, you're leaning toward doing it, or you do it habitually. If you're inclined to eat too much at Thanksgiving, you're not alone. If you're inclined to want to join the Iditarod dog sled race, get a warm jacket. Inclined can also be an adjective describing something that's at an angle. If a ramp is inclined, it's on a slant, sloping up toward something else.
Vocabulary lists containing inclined
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The two-week cease-fire is due to end Wednesday and Trump isn’t inclined to extend it, The Wall Street Journal External link reported, citing White House officials.
From Barron's • Apr. 21, 2026
So when Spero posts a time-series chart of hundreds of articles showing when a journalist’s output started sounding fishily like ChatGPT, I am inclined to believe it.
From Slate • Apr. 17, 2026
As a writer he’s more inclined to stretch out than double-down.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026
"Most large spiders are not inclined to bite a human – you can handle hundreds of large house or garden spiders and never get bitten," the conservation charity says.
From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026
The car ran beautifully and although people were inclined to stare at him, Stuart didn’t mind.
From "Stuart Little" by E.B. White
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
