English
inclination
Etymology

From Middle English inclinacioun, inclinacyon, from Old French inclination and Latin inclīnātiō.

Morphologically incline + -ation

Pronunciation
  • IPA: /ɪn.klɪˈneɪ.ʃən/
Noun

inclination

  1. A physical tilt or bend.
    The inclination of his head increased and he awoke with a start.
  2. A slant or slope.
    The road up to the house had a steep inclination.
  3. A tendency.
    His inclination to drink escalated to alcoholism.
  4. (geometry) The angle of intersection of a reference plane
    The astronomer calculated the inclination of the equator or ecliptic of Earth and the orbital planes of each visible heavenly body.
    Artillery must take account of a weapon's precise inclination.
  5. (obsolete) A person or thing loved or admired.
    • c. 1672-1679, Sir William Temple, 1st Baronet, Memoirs
      you make will be a Discovery of your Inclinations
    • 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.
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