inflection

American  

[in-flek-shuhn] / ɪnˈflɛk ʃən /

especially British, inflexion

noun

1. modulation of the voice; change in pitch or tone of voice.

2. Grammar. Also

   1. the process or device of adding affixes to or changing the shape of a base to give it a different syntactic function without changing its form class.

   2. the paradigm of a word.

   3. a single pattern of formation of a paradigm.

      noun inflection; verb inflection.

   4. the change in the shape of a word, generally by affixation, by means of which a change of meaning or relationship to some other word or group of words is indicated.

   5. the affix added to produce this change, as the -s in dogs or the -ed in played.

   6. the systematic description of such processes in a given language, as in serves from serve, sings from sing, and harder from hard (derivation ).

3. a bend or angle.

4. Mathematics. a change of curvature from convex to concave or vice versa.

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inflection British  

/ ɪnˈflɛkʃən /

noun

1. modulation of the voice

2. (grammar) a change in the form of a word, usually modification or affixation, signalling change in such grammatical functions as tense, voice, mood, person, gender, number, or case

3. an angle or bend

4. the act of inflecting or the state of being inflected

5. maths a change in curvature from concave to convex or vice versa See also point of inflection

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inflection Cultural  

1. A change in the form of a word to reflect different grammatical functions of the word in a sentence. English has lost most of its inflections. Those that remain are chiefly possessive ('s), as in “the boy's hat”; plural (-s), as in “the three girls”; and past tense (-d or -ed), as in cared. Other inflections are found in pronouns — as in he, him, his — and in irregular words such as think/thought, child/children, and mouse/mice.

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Other Word Forms

• inflectional adjective
• inflectionally adverb
• inflectionless adjective
• preinflection noun

Etymology

Origin of inflection

1525–35; variant spelling of inflexion < Latin inflexiōn- (stem of inflexiō ) a bending. See inflect, -ion

Example Sentences

For Moore and other investors who are betting on the role AI will play in the future of media production, this mainstream popularity was an inflection point they say they’ve been awaiting.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

“The Comeback” has a way of reappearing with Valerie’s perky “hello, hello, hello!” at inflection points like this, making the perpetually out-of-step performer uncannily right on time, always.

From Salon • Mar. 26, 2026

“We are at an inflection point for prediction markets,” Andy Ross, head of institutional at Kalshi, said in a statement the company provided to Barron’s.

From Barron's • Mar. 24, 2026

“We see a similar sentiment and value inflection setting up” for Amazon.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 23, 2026

The black community posed the question in private and in public, and with every possible inflection: rhetorically, angrily, incredulously, hopefully.

From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly

Related Words

• articulation
• pronunciation
• timbre
• tone of voice