inclined

- 5 dictionary results

in⋅clined

[in-klahynd]

–adjective

1.	deviating in direction from the horizontal or vertical; sloping.

2.	disposed; of a mind (usually fol. by to): He was inclined to stay.

3.	having a physical tendency; leaning.

4.	tending in a direction that makes an angle with anything else.

Origin:
1350–1400; ME enclyned. See incline, -ed ²

in⋅cline

[v. in-klahyn; n. in-klahyn, in-klahyn]

verb, -clined, -clin⋅ing, noun

–verb (used with object)

1.	to deviate from the vertical or horizontal; slant.

2.	to have a mental tendency, preference, etc.; be disposed: We incline to rest and relaxation these days.

3.	to tend, in a physical sense; approximate: The flowers incline toward blue.

4.	to tend in character or in course of action: a political philosophy that inclines toward the conservative.

5.	to lean; bend.

–verb (used with object)

6.	to dispose (a person) in mind, habit, etc. (usually fol. by to): His attitude did not incline me to help him.

7.	to bow, nod, or bend (the head, body, etc.): He inclined his head in greeting.

8.	to cause to lean or bend in a particular direction.

–noun

9.	an inclined surface; slope; slant.

10.

Railroads.

a.	Also called inclined plane, incline plane. a cable railroad, the gradient of which is approximately 45°.

b.	any railroad or portion of a railroad, the gradient of which is too steep for ordinary locomotive adhesion alone to be effective.

11.

Mining.

a.	an angled shaft following a dipping vein.

b.	an inclined haulageway.

—Idiom

12.	incline one's ear, to listen, esp. willingly or favorably: to incline one's ear to another's plea.

Origin:
1300–50; ME inclinen < L inclīnāre, equiv. to in- in- ² + -clīnāre to bend (see lean ¹ ); r. ME enclinen < MF < L, as above

Related forms:

in⋅clin⋅er, noun

Synonyms:
1. lean, slope, rise, fall, pitch. 2. tend, lean. 3, 4. verge, veer.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Link To inclined

in·cline (ĭn-klīn')

v. in·clined, in·clin·ing, in·clines

v. intr.

To deviate from the horizontal or vertical; slant.
To be disposed to a certain preference, opinion, or course of action.
To lower or bend the head or body, as in a nod or bow.

v. tr.

To cause to lean, slant, or slope.
To influence to have a certain tendency; dispose: Recent events incline us to distrust all politicians.
To bend or lower in a nod or bow: inclined her head in acquiescence.

n. (ĭn'klīn')
An inclined surface; a slope or gradient.

[Middle English enclinen, from Old French encliner, from Latin inclīnāre : in-, into, toward; see in-² + -clīnāre, to lean; see klei- in Indo-European roots.]
in·clin'er n.

Synonyms: These verbs mean to influence or be influenced toward a particular attitude or course of action: inclined to believe her; is biased in his favor; were disposed to admire him; predisposed to studying. See Also Synonyms at slant.
Antonym: disincline

in·clined (ĭn-klīnd')

adj.

Sloping, slanting, or leaning.
Having a preference, disposition, or tendency: lobbied the positively inclined senators to push for the bill's passage.

Word Origin & History

incline (v.)

c.1305, "to bend or bow toward," from O.Fr. encliner, from L. inclinare "to cause to lean," from in- "in" + clinare "to bend," from PIE *klei-n-, suffixed form of *klei "to lean" (see lean (v.)). Metaphoric sense of "have a mental disposition toward" is c.1430 in Eng. (but existed in classical L.). The noun meaning "slant, slope" is attested from 1846.

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