Dictionary

inclination en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• (General-American) audio
• /ˌɪn.klɪˈneɪ.ʃən/ (Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˌɪn.kləˈneɪ.ʃən/ (Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˌɪn.kləˈnæɪ.ʃən/ (Australia)

Etymology

From Middle English inclinacioun, inclinacyon, from Old French inclination and Latin inclīnātiō. Morphologically incline + -ation.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) A physical tilt or bend.
   • The inclination of his head increased and he awoke with a start.
2. (countable, uncountable) A slant or slope.
   • The road up to the house had a steep inclination.
   • The gradients on the western part of the line are generally easy, although there is a rise at 1 in 55 before Manorbier, and a fall at the same inclination beyond that station. 1959 October 14, H. A. Vallance, “The Pembroke & Tenby Railway”, in Railway Magazine, page 668:
3. (countable, uncountable) A tendency.
   • It should be remembered, however, that [Sir Thomas] Lawrence, who was now in demand, was charging from eighty to a hundred guineas for even his smallest portraits, a sum which would have been far beyond the pocket or inclination of the canny North countryman [George Stephenson], who had little use for empty honours. 1960 February 14, H. C. P. Smail, “New portrait of George Stephenson”, in Railway Magazine, page 93:
   • His inclination to drink escalated to alcoholism.
4. (countable, uncountable) The angle of intersection of a reference plane.
   • Artillery must take account of a weapon's precise inclination.
   • The astronomer calculated the inclination of the equator or ecliptic of Earth and the orbital planes of each visible heavenly body.
5. (countable, obsolete, uncountable) A person or thing loved or admired.
   • c. 1771, John Adams, speaking in a trial Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.
   • c. 1672-1679, William Temple, Memoirs you make will be a Discovery of your Inclinations

Forms

Deriveds

counterinclination · inclinational · disinclination · hyperinclination · misinclination · overinclination · inclinationism · preinclination · retroclination · noninclination

Relateds

inclinometer · inclinable · incline · inclined plane

Synonyms

steepness (slant or slope) · inclining (slant or slope) · leaning (tendency) · incline (slant or slope) · proclivity (tendency) · propensity (tendency)

Translations (101)

ca inclinació (physical tilt or bend) · da tilbøjelighet (mental tendency) · es inclinación (mental tendency) · cs náklonnost (mental tendency) · ro tendință (mental tendency) · sh nagnuće (mental tendency) · ru накло́н (geometry: angle of intersection) · gl inclinación (physical tilt or bend) · ru укло́н (slant or slope) · bn প্রবণতা (mental tendency) · cs sklon (slant or slope) · it inclinazione (geometry: angle of intersection) · mk скло́ност (mental tendency) · nl helling (slant or slope) · fi mäki (slant or slope) · nl buiging (physical tilt or bend) · it dislivello (slant or slope) · ru накло́н (physical tilt or bend) · ru тенде́нция (mental tendency) · it inclinazione (mental tendency) · bg наклон (physical tilt or bend) · ru отко́с (slant or slope) · ru накло́н (slant or slope) · pl pochyłość (slant or slope) · es inclinación (physical tilt or bend) · ro înclinare (slant or slope) · bg склонност (mental tendency) · fi inklinaatio (geometry: angle of intersection) · pl nachylenie (geometry: angle of intersection) · grc κλίμα (slant or slope) · sh sklonost (mental tendency) · he שיפוע (slant or slope) · ro pantă (slant or slope) · ru наклоне́ние (physical tilt or bend) · nl tendens (mental tendency) · eo emo (mental tendency) · pt inclinação (slant or slope) · cs sklon (physical tilt or bend) · ru ска́т (slant or slope) · pt inclinação (mental tendency) · es inclinación (geometry: angle of intersection) · ru накло́нность (mental tendency) · eo inklino (mental tendency) · nl inclinatie (slant or slope) · mi ngākau (mental tendency) · cmn 倾角 (geometry: angle of intersection) · nl inclinatie (geometry: angle of intersection) · mk наклон (geometry: angle of intersection) · cs náklon (slant or slope) · it inclinazione (physical tilt or bend) · ka მიდრეკილება (mental tendency) · ru скло́нность (mental tendency) · ca inclinació (geometry: angle of intersection) · ca inclinació (mental tendency) · bg наклон (geometry: angle of intersection) · ro înclinație (mental tendency) · eo tendenco (mental tendency) · pt inclinação (physical tilt or bend) · bg скат (slant or slope) · de Steigung (slant or slope) · cs inklinace (geometry: angle of intersection) · nl glooiingshoek (slant or slope) · enm talent (mental tendency) · es inclinación (slant or slope) · ru скло́н (slant or slope) · de Neigung (mental tendency) · bg склон (slant or slope) · uk схи́льність (mental tendency) · ro înclinație (slant or slope) · id keberpihakan (mental tendency) · ca desnivell (slant or slope) · pt inclinação (geometry: angle of intersection) · pl pochylenie (physical tilt or bend) · pl inklinacja (geometry: angle of intersection) · mk на́клон (slant or slope) · cs sklon (mental tendency) · ca inclinació (slant or slope) · sv böjelse (mental tendency) · fi kallistuma (physical tilt or bend) · id inklanasi (mental tendency) · gl inclinación (geometry: angle of intersection) · no tilbøyelighet (mental tendency) · nl glooiing (slant or slope) · pl schylenie (physical tilt or bend) · mk на́клоност (mental tendency) · pl skłonność (mental tendency) · ro povârniș (slant or slope) · nl neiging (mental tendency) · la prōpensiō (slant or slope) · de Neigung (physical tilt or bend) · cs naklonění (physical tilt or bend) · fi rinne (slant or slope) · ro înclinare (physical tilt or bend) · fi taipumus (mental tendency) · he נטיה (mental tendency) · sh inklinacija (geometry: angle of intersection) · nl knik (physical tilt or bend) · mk на́клон (physical tilt or bend) · fi kallistus (physical tilt or bend) · hu hajlam (mental tendency) · fr inclination (physical tilt or bend)