Dictionary

inflection en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /ɪnˈflɛkʃən/

Etymology

From older inflexion, borrowed from Middle French inflexion, itself borrowed from Latin inflexiōnem (“alteration”, literally “bending”). The English spelling with ⟨ct⟩ is due to influence from inflect or related words like correction.

Meanings

1. (uncountable) The linguistic phenomenon of morphological variation, whereby words take a number of distinct forms in order to express different grammatical features.
   • In English, word order often does the work that inflection did in Latin.
2. (countable) The linguistic phenomenon of morphological variation, whereby words take a number of distinct forms in order to express different grammatical features. ▸ Any specific type of morphological variation, which applies to a given word class.
   • The second-person imperative is a verbal inflection found in many Indo-European languages.
3. (countable) The linguistic phenomenon of morphological variation, whereby words take a number of distinct forms in order to express different grammatical features. ▸ An affix representing a given variation.
   • English's regular inflection for number in plural nouns is the suffix -s.
4. (countable) The linguistic phenomenon of morphological variation, whereby words take a number of distinct forms in order to express different grammatical features. ▸ Any specific morphological form of a particular word, such as the principal parts for any given stem; any of the declined or conjugated forms that constitute its declension or conjugation.
   • Recite every inflection for each of these words.
5. (countable, uncountable) A change in pitch or tone of voice.
6. (countable, uncountable) A change in curvature from concave to convex or from convex to concave.
7. (countable, uncountable) A turning away from a straight course.
   • inflection from the rules
8. (countable, uncountable) Diffraction.

Forms

Deriveds

overinflection · inflectional · inflectionless · inflection point · transflection

Hyponyms

conjugation · desinential inflection · declination · declension · comparison

Relateds

inflect · inflected

Synonyms

flection · flexion

Translations (114)

sq eptim (variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features) · it inflessione (change in curvature from concave to convex or from convex to concave) · fr inflexion (turning away from a straight course) · uk модуляція (change in pitch or tone of voice) · sq fleksion (variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features) · gv lhoobey (turning away from a straight course) · mn ялгаллахуй (change in pitch or tone of voice) · el λύγισμα (change in curvature from concave to convex or from convex to concave) · cs flexe (variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features) · el κάμψη (change in curvature from concave to convex or from convex to concave) · sk ohýbanie (variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features) · ru модуля́ция (change in pitch or tone of voice) · sv inflexionspunkt (change in curvature from concave to convex or from convex to concave) · ka მიმოხრა (variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features) · uk перегин (change in curvature from concave to convex or from convex to concave) · la flexio (variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features) · de Beugung (variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features) · fi inflektio (change in pitch or tone of voice) · mg fihilan-teny (variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features) · id infleksi (variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features) · da afvigelse (turning away from a straight course) · it inflessione (change in pitch or tone of voice) · hu inflexió (change in curvature from concave to convex or from convex to concave) · pt desvio (turning away from a straight course) · ru измене́ние фо́рмы сло́ва (variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features) · nn bøying (variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features) · hi विभक्ति (variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features) · it cadenza (change in pitch or tone of voice) · ru сгиба́ние (change in curvature from concave to convex or from convex to concave) · sv böjning (variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features) · grc κίνημα (variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features) · it desinenza (variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features) · fa تصریف (variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features) · ca inflexió (change in pitch or tone of voice) · ca flexió (variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features) · grc κίνησις (variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features) · ja 語形変化 (variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features) · nl bocht (turning away from a straight course) · it intonazione (change in pitch or tone of voice) · la flexura (variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features) · nl flexie (variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features) · hu rag (variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features) · grc κλίσις (variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features) · ba килеш менән үҙгәреү (variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features) · ka ფლექსია (variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features) · uk словозмі́на (variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features) · uk зміна інтонації (change in pitch or tone of voice) · de Biegung (variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features) · sh infleksija (change in curvature from concave to convex or from convex to concave) · ru словоизмене́ние (variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features) · ro inflexiune (change in curvature from concave to convex or from convex to concave) · fi äänenkorkeuden muutos (change in pitch or tone of voice) · nb bøyning (variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features) · tl sabaylo (variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features) · el κλίση (variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features) · it modulazione (change in pitch or tone of voice) · es inflexión (change in pitch or tone of voice) · fr flexion (variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features) · bg отклонение (turning away from a straight course) · nb bøying (variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features) · is beyging (variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features) · pl odmiana (variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features) · ko 어형변화 (variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features) · cy ffurfdro (variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features) · bg модулация (change in pitch or tone of voice) · sh fleksija (variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features) · bg склоне́ние (variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features) · de Flexion (variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features) · sh infleksija (change in pitch or tone of voice) · cmn 詞形變化 /词形变化 (variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features) · fi suunnanmuutos (turning away from a straight course) · pt entonação (change in pitch or tone of voice) · eo fleksio (variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features) · it flessione (variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features) · ro flexiune (variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features) · fi äänensävyn muutos (change in pitch or tone of voice) · ro inflexiune (change in pitch or tone of voice) · ko 굴절 (variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features) · pl modulacja (change in pitch or tone of voice) · ru отклоне́ние (turning away from a straight course) · cs ohýbání (variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features) · ka მოღუნვა (variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features) · ru переги́б (change in curvature from concave to convex or from convex to concave) · es flexión (variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features) · tg оҳанг (variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features) · ang ġebīeġednes (variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features) · pt inflexão (change in curvature from concave to convex or from convex to concave) · pt inflexão (turning away from a straight course) · ru фле́ксия (change in curvature from concave to convex or from convex to concave) · pl fleksja (variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features) · gv yn-filley (variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features) · hy թեքում (variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features) · gv aachassey (change in curvature from concave to convex or from convex to concave) · da modulation (change in pitch or tone of voice) · pl przegięcie (change in curvature from concave to convex or from convex to concave) · hu ragozás (variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features) · lv locīšana (variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features) · fi käänne (change in curvature from concave to convex or from convex to concave) · ang ġebīeġednes (turning away from a straight course) · cmn 曲折變化 /曲折变化 (variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features) · is raddblær (change in pitch or tone of voice) · pt inflexão (change in pitch or tone of voice) · mn хувирал (variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features) · es inflexión (turning away from a straight course) · fi taivutus (variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features) · sh otklon (turning away from a straight course) · pt flexão (variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features) · ru оконча́ние (variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features) · de Betonung (change in pitch or tone of voice) · ru фле́ксия (variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features) · pl zmiana kierunku (turning away from a straight course) · cy ffurfdroad (variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features) · hy թեքում (turning away from a straight course) · it calata (change in pitch or tone of voice)

wikidata: Q207857 · wikidata: Q207857 · wikidata: Q207857 · wikidata: Q207857