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5 dictionary results for: tendency
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This
ten·den·cy
[ten-duh
n-see] Pronunciation Key
[ten-duh
n-see] Pronunciation Key –noun, plural -cies.
| 1. | a natural or prevailing disposition to move, proceed, or act in some direction or toward some point, end, or result: the tendency of falling bodies toward the earth. |
| 2. | an inclination, bent, or predisposition to something: a tendency to talk too much. |
| 3. | a special and definite purpose in a novel or other literary work. |
—Synonyms 1. Tendency, direction, trend, drift refer to inclination or line of action or movement. A tendency is an inclination toward a certain line of action (whether or not the action follows), and is often the result of inherent qualities, nature, or habit: a tendency to procrastinate. Direction is the line along which an object or course of action moves, often toward some set point or intended goal: The change is in the direction of improvement. Trend emphasizes simultaneous movement in a certain direction of a number of factors, although the course or goal may not be clear for any single feature: Business indicators showed a downward trend. Drift emphasizes gradual development as well as direction: the drift of his argument. 2. proclivity, leaning.
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
| ten·den·cy
(těn'dən-sē) Pronunciation Key
n. pl. ten·den·cies
[Medieval Latin tendentia, from Latin tendēns, tendent-, present participle of tendere, to tend; see tend1.] Synonyms: These nouns refer to the direction or course of an action or thought. Tendency implies a predisposition to proceed in a particular way: "The tendency of our own day is ... towards firm, solid, verifiable knowledge" (William H. Mallock). |
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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
tendency
tendency
1628, from M.L. tendentia "inclination, leaning," from L. tendens, prp. of tendere "to stretch, aim" (see tenet). Tendentious is recorded from 1900, after Ger. tendenziös.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This
| tendency | |
noun | |
| 1. | 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" [syn: inclination] |
| 2. | an inclination to do something; "he felt leanings toward frivolity" [syn: leaning] |
| 3. | 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" |
| 4. | a general direction in which something tends to move; "the shoreward tendency of the current"; "the trend of the stock market" |
WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
Tendency
Tend"en*cy\, n.; pl. Tendencies. [L. tendents, -entis, p. pr. of tendere: cf. F. tendance. See Tend to move.] Direction or course toward any place, object, effect, or result; drift; causal or efficient influence to bring about an effect or result. Writings of this kind, if conducted with candor, have a more particular tendency to the good of their country. --Addison. In every experimental science, there is a tendency toward perfection. --Macaulay. Syn: Disposition; inclination; proneness; drift; scope; aim.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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