tendency

[ten-duhn-see]

noun

plural

tendencies 

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 Word Forms

• countertendency noun

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

“Some think that shipping real-life people is problematic. I think that humans cannot stop this natural tendency,” Howell said, later adding that “a line gets crossed” when fan speculation turns into investigation.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Dr. Cohen also stresses the need to nurture creativity and risk-taking in science, cautioning against the tendency to fund only predictable or incremental research.

Read more on Science Daily

“I feel like I have a natural tendency to poke people at regular intervals with something surprising, a sound they hadn’t expected, like ‘whoosh,’ or an image that they hadn’t ever conjured before.”

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Our tendency to ghettoize drama — along racial or immigrant lines — reflects the failure to understand our collective story.

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“We are probably looking at a weak La Niña, but there have been some studies that have found that second-year La Niñas do have a tendency to enhance already existing drought,” she said.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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