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
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having a disposition; tending
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sloping or slanting
Other Word Forms
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.
In his classic book “Innumeracy,” mathematician John Allen Paulos observed that people are inclined to think that 1 trillion and 1 billion are about as close together as 1 billion and 1 million.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 1, 2026
The selloff came after The New York Times reported that OpenAI was inclined to delay its public offering until 2027, citing three people involved in the matter.
From Barron's • Jun. 26, 2026
Underdogs that have done well have often played short from goal-kicks, drawing pressure from the bigger nations who are more inclined to press high, before chipping it into clusters of players in space.
From BBC • Jun. 26, 2026
“What if you considered this other perspective?” most of them ask, neglecting to realize that most people won’t be inclined to think harder unless they’re presented with more than a suggestion.
From Salon • Jun. 15, 2026
The widow is unsure about marrying him but seems inclined to do so anyway—unless she knows for a fact that her dear dead husband, Edward Ashton, would not approve.
From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood
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.
