tendency

American  

[ten-duhn-see] / ˈtɛn dən si /

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.

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tendency British  

/ 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

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Related Words

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.

Other Word Forms

• countertendency noun

Etymology

Origin of tendency

From the Medieval Latin word tendentia, dating back to 1620–30. See tend ¹, -ency

Example Sentences

One major obstacle was the tendency of the catalytic system to trigger unwanted chlorination reactions, which created byproducts and reduced efficiency.

From Science Daily

“A lot of people have a tendency to divulge that health information in order to explain themselves, and we need to push that aside,” West says.

From MarketWatch

Its tendency to suffer prolonged selloffs creates something called sequence of return risk.

From The Wall Street Journal

Finances are a stressor; likewise his rather abundant weight and tendency to stress-eat.

From The Wall Street Journal

That’s because they’ve been pitched to users who may not appreciate their tendency to output erroneous information errors and offer inappropriate advice.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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