inclined
Americanadjective
-
deviating in direction from the horizontal or vertical; sloping.
-
disposed; of a mind (usually followed byto ).
He was inclined to stay.
-
having a physical tendency; leaning.
-
tending in a direction that makes an angle with anything else.
adjective
-
having a disposition; tending
-
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.
Ben Okri’s foreword to “The Inheritors” is evocative but diffuse; Marlon James, writing on “Pincher Martin,” is inclined to impose his own rhetorical energy on the text.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
“So he hasn’t given any indication that he’s inclined to hike rates,” he said.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 18, 2026
“If you’re concerned about this, if you’re inclined to believe the president, demand proof, demand resolution in court at trial with the the showing of evidence,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
If you are inclined to put a bid in this time, your starting offer cannot be lower than $19m.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
She was not inclined to dissuade her mother from wandering far away from the terrace.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
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.
