tendency
[ ten-duhn-see ]
/ ˈtɛn dən si /
noun, plural ten·den·cies.
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.
an inclination, bent, or predisposition to something: a tendency to talk too much.
a special and definite purpose in a novel or other literary work.
Nearby words
tencel, tench, tend, tend to, tendance, tendency, tendency tone, tendential, tendentious, tendentiously, tender
Related formscoun·ter·tend·en·cy, noun, plural coun·ter·tend·en·cies.
Synonym study
1. 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.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for tendency
British Dictionary definitions for tendency
tendency
/ (ˈtɛndənsɪ) /
noun plural -cies
(often foll by to) an inclination, predisposition, propensity, or leaningshe has a tendency to be frivolous; a tendency to frivolity
the general course, purport, or drift of something, esp a written work
a faction, esp one within a political partythe militant tendency
Word Origin for tendency
C17: from Medieval Latin tendentia, from Latin tendere to tend 1
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for tendency
tendency
1620s, from Medieval Latin tendentia "inclination, leaning," from Latin tendens, present participle of tendere "to stretch, aim" (see tenet). Earlier in same sense was tendaunce (mid-15c.), from Old French tendance.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper