inclination

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in·cli·na·tion

(ĭn′klə-nā′shən)

1. The act of inclining or the state of being inclined; a bend or tilt: The inclination of the child's head suggested sleep.

a. A deviation or the degree of deviation from the horizontal or vertical; a slant: the steep inclination of a roof.

b. The angle between two lines or planes: the inclination of the comet's orbit with respect to that of Earth.

c. An inclined surface; a slope.

a. A characteristic disposition or tendency to act in a certain way; a propensity: "I shall indulge the inclination so natural in old men, to be talking of themselves" (Benjamin Franklin).

b. A preference or liking: his musical inclinations.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

inclination

(ˌɪnklɪˈneɪʃən)

1. (often foll by: for, to, towards, or an infinitive) a particular disposition, esp a liking or preference; tendency: I've no inclination for such dull work.

2. the degree of deviation from a particular plane, esp a horizontal or vertical plane

3. a sloping or slanting surface; incline

4. the act of inclining or the state of being inclined

5. the act of bowing or nodding the head

6. (Mathematics) maths

a. the angle between a line on a graph and the positive limb of the x-axis

b. the smaller dihedral angle between one plane and another

7. (Astronomy) astronomy the angle between the plane of the orbit of a planet or comet and another plane, usually that of the ecliptic

8. (General Physics) physics another name for dip²⁸

ˌincliˈnational adj

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

in•cli•na•tion

(ˌɪn kləˈneɪ ʃən)

n.

1. a special disposition of the mind or temperament; a liking or preference: a great inclination for sports.

2. something to which one is inclined.

3. the act of inclining or state of being inclined.

4. a tendency toward a certain condition, action, etc.

5. deviation or amount of deviation from a normal, esp. horizontal or vertical, direction or position.

6. an inclined surface.

a. the angle between two lines or two planes.

b. the angle formed by the x-axis and a given line.

[1350–1400; Middle English < Latin]

in`cli•na′tion•al, adj.

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Noun	1.	inclination - an attitude of mind especially one that favors one alternative over others; "he had an inclination to give up too easily"; "a tendency to be too strict" tendency, disposition attitude, mental attitude - a complex mental state involving beliefs and feelings and values and dispositions to act in certain ways; "he had the attitude that work was fun" direction - a general course along which something has a tendency to develop; "I couldn't follow the direction of his thoughts"; "his ideals determined the direction of his career"; "they proposed a new direction for the firm" trend, drift, movement - a general tendency to change (as of opinion); "not openly liberal but that is the trend of the book"; "a broad movement of the electorate to the right" Call - a special disposition (as if from a divine source) to pursue a particular course; "he was disappointed that he had not heard the Call" denominationalism - the tendency, in Protestantism, to separate into religious denominations or to advocate such separations devices - an inclination or desire; used in the plural in the phrase `left to your own devices'; "eventually the family left the house to the devices of this malevolent force"; "the children were left to their own devices" sympathy, understanding - an inclination to support or be loyal to or to agree with an opinion; "his sympathies were always with the underdog"; "I knew I could count on his understanding" favoritism, favouritism - an inclination to favor some person or group proclivity, propensity, leaning - a natural inclination; "he has a proclivity for exaggeration" bent, set - a relatively permanent inclination to react in a particular way; "the set of his mind was obvious" literalism - a disposition to interpret statements in their literal sense perseveration - the tendency for a memory or idea to persist or recur without any apparent stimulus for it predisposition - an inclination beforehand to interpret statements in a particular way favour, favor - an inclination to approve; "that style is in favor this season" dislike, disfavor, disfavour, disapproval - an inclination to withhold approval from some person or group partisanship, partiality - an inclination to favor one group or view or opinion over alternatives impartiality, nonpartisanship - an inclination to weigh both views or opinions equally
	2.	inclination - (astronomy) the angle between the plane of the orbit and the plane of the ecliptic stated in degrees inclination of an orbit astronomy, uranology - the branch of physics that studies celestial bodies and the universe as a whole angle - the space between two lines or planes that intersect; the inclination of one line to another; measured in degrees or radians
	3.	inclination - (geometry) the angle formed by the x-axis and a given line (measured counterclockwise from the positive half of the x-axis) angle of inclination geometry - the pure mathematics of points and lines and curves and surfaces angle - the space between two lines or planes that intersect; the inclination of one line to another; measured in degrees or radians
	4.	inclination - (physics) the angle that a magnetic needle makes with the plane of the horizon angle of dip, magnetic dip, magnetic inclination, dip natural philosophy, physics - the science of matter and energy and their interactions; "his favorite subject was physics" angle - the space between two lines or planes that intersect; the inclination of one line to another; measured in degrees or radians
	5.	inclination - that toward which you are inclined to feel a liking; "her inclination is for classical music" liking - a feeling of pleasure and enjoyment; "I've always had a liking for reading"; "she developed a liking for gin" leaning, propensity, tendency - an inclination to do something; "he felt leanings toward frivolity" stomach - an inclination or liking for things involving conflict or difficulty or unpleasantness; "he had no stomach for a fight" undertow - an inclination contrary to the strongest or prevailing feeling; "his account had a poignant undertow of regret" disinclination - that toward which you are inclined to feel dislike; "his disinclination for modesty is well known"
	6.	inclination - the property possessed by a line or surface that departs from the vertical; "the tower had a pronounced tilt"; "the ship developed a list to starboard"; "he walked with a heavy inclination to the right" lean, list, leaning, tilt spatial relation, position - the spatial property of a place where or way in which something is situated; "the position of the hands on the clock"; "he specified the spatial relations of every piece of furniture on the stage"
	7.	inclination - a characteristic likelihood of or natural disposition toward a certain condition or character or effect; "the alkaline inclination of the local waters"; "fabric with a tendency to shrink" tendency heterosis, hybrid vigor - (genetics) the tendency of a crossbred organism to have qualities superior to those of either parent disposition - a natural or acquired habit or characteristic tendency in a person or thing; "a swelling with a disposition to rupture" buoyancy - the tendency to float in water or other liquid electronegativity, negativity - (chemistry) the tendency of an atom or radical to attract electrons in the formation of an ionic bond stainability - (cytology) the capacity of cells or cell parts to stain specifically with certain dyes desire - an inclination to want things; "a man of many desires"
	8.	inclination - the act of inclining; bending forward; "an inclination of his head indicated his agreement" inclining movement, motility, motion, move - a change of position that does not entail a change of location; "the reflex motion of his eyebrows revealed his surprise"; "movement is a sign of life"; "an impatient move of his hand"; "gastrointestinal motility" bob - a short abrupt inclination (as of the head); "he gave me a short bob of acknowledgement" nod - the act of nodding the head stoop - an inclination of the top half of the body forward and downward

inclination

noun

1. desire, longing, wish, need, aspiration, craving, yearning, hankering He had neither the time nor the inclination to think about it.

2. tendency, liking, taste, turn, fancy, leaning, bent, stomach, prejudice, bias, affection, thirst, disposition, penchant, fondness, propensity, aptitude, predisposition, predilection, proclivity, partiality, turn of mind, proneness He set out to follow his artistic inclinations.
tendency dislike, aversion, revulsion, antipathy, disinclination

3. bow, bending, nod, bowing a polite inclination of his head

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

inclination

noun

Deviation from a particular direction:

cant, grade, gradient, heel, incline, lean, list, rake, slant, slope, tilt, tip.

Translations

إنْحِناءرَغْبَه، مَيْل

chuťnakloněnísklon

bøjninglysttilbøjelighed

Lust Neigung

inclinación propensión afición deseo

inklinaatiokallistumakallistusmäkirinne

inclination penchant inclinaison

hneigingtilhneiging

inclinazione pendenza tendenza

inclinatieneiging

hodebøying

влечение расположение склонность

sklonenie

eğilimeğmeistek

倾向点头

inclination

[ˌɪnklɪˈneɪʃən] N

1. (= tendency) → tendencia f, inclinación f
his natural inclinations → su tendencia or inclinación natural
she has musical inclinations → tiene inclinación por or hacia la música
to have an inclination to meanness → tener tendencia a ser tacaño

2. (= desire) I have no inclination to go → no tengo ganas de ir
I have neither the time nor the inclination to get involved → no tengo ni tiempo ni ganas de meterme en el asunto
her inclination was to ignore him → prefería no hacerle caso
I decided to follow my own inclination and stay at home → decidí hacer lo que más me apetecía y quedarme en casa
I went to the meeting, against my inclination → fui a la reunión, aunque no sentía ningún deseo de hacerlo

3. (= slope, bow) → inclinación f

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

inclination

[ˌɪnklɪˈneɪʃ^ən] n

(= wish) → inclination f
to have the inclination to do sth → avoir l'inclination à faire qch

(= leaning, tendency) → penchant m
his artistic inclinations → ses penchants artistiques

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

inclination

(= tendency, wish etc) → Neigung f; he follows his (own) inclinations → er tut das, wozu er Lust hat; what are his natural inclinations? → welches sind seine Neigungen?; my (natural) inclination is to carry on → ich neige dazu, weiterzumachen; inclination to stoutness → Anlage f → or Neigung f → zu Korpulenz; to have an inclination toward(s) rudeness → zur Unhöflichkeit neigen; I have no inclination to see him again → ich habe keinerlei Bedürfnis, ihn wiederzusehen; my immediate inclination was to refuse → mein erster Gedanke war abzulehnen; he showed no inclination to leave → er schien nicht gehen zu wollen

(of head, body) → Neigung f

(of hill, slope etc) → Neigung f, → Gefälle nt

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

inclination

[ˌɪnklɪˈneɪʃ/ən] n

a. (wish) → tendenza, inclinazione f
he felt no inclination to join in the fun → non aveva nessuna voglia di unirsi alla gazzarra
her inclination was to ignore him → avrebbe voluto ignorarlo
against my inclination → controvoglia
to follow one's inclination → seguire le proprie inclinazioni

b. (slope) → pendio, china

c. (bow) → cenno

incline

(inˈklain) verb

to bow (one's head etc).

(ˈinklain) noun

a slope.

inclination (inkləˈneiʃən) noun

1. a tendency or slight desire to do something. Has he any inclinations towards engineering?; I felt an inclination to hit him.

2. (an act of) bowing (the head etc).

be inclined to

1. to have a tendency to (do something). He is inclined to be a bit lazy.

2. to have a slight desire to (do something). I am inclined to accept their invitation.

in·cli·na·tion

n. inclinación.

References in classic literature ?

Goodness I call the habit, and goodness of nature, the inclination. This of all virtues, and dignities of the mind, is the greatest; being the character of the Deity: and without it, man is a busy, mischievous, wretched thing; no better than a kind of vermin.

View in context

But I was secured in this point, for as I had no inclination to change, so I had no manner of acquaintance in the whole house, and so no temptation to look any farther.

The living in this manner with him, and his with me, was certainly the most undesigned thing in the world; he often protested to me, that when he became first acquainted with me, and even to the very night when we first broke in upon our rules, he never had the least design of lying with me; that he always had a sincere affection for me, but not the least real inclination to do what he had done.

View in context

"It is fortunate that your inclination and your father's convenience should accord so well.

Indolence and love of ease; a want of all laudable ambition, of taste for good company, or of inclination to take the trouble of being agreeable, which make men clergymen.

View in context

"Even our digestion is governed by angels," said Blake; and if you will resist the trivial inclination to substitute "bad angels," is there really any greater mystery than the process by which beef is turned into brains, and beer into beauty?

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But there are other points to be considered besides his inclination. He is very far from being independent.

I have not had so many opportunities of estimating the minuter propensities of his mind, his inclinations and tastes, as you have; but I have the highest opinion in the world of his goodness and sense.

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With reflections of this nature she usually, as has been hinted, accompanied every act of compliance with her brother's inclinations; and surely nothing could more contribute to heighten the merit of this compliance than a declaration that she knew, at the same time, the folly and unreasonableness of those inclinations to which she submitted.

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I follow another, easier, and to my mind wiser course, and that is to rail at the frivolity of women, at their inconstancy, their double dealing, their broken promises, their unkept pledges, and in short the want of reflection they show in fixing their affections and inclinations. This, sirs, was the reason of words and expressions I made use of to this goat when I came up just now; for as she is a female I have a contempt for her, though she is the best in all my fold.

View in context

When occasions present themselves, in which the interests of the people are at variance with their inclinations, it is the duty of the persons whom they have appointed to be the guardians of those interests, to withstand the temporary delusion, in order to give them time and opportunity for more cool and sedate reflection.

But however inclined we might be to insist upon an unbounded complaisance in the Executive to the inclinations of the people, we can with no propriety contend for a like complaisance to the humors of the legislature.