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View synonyms for tendency

tendency

[ ten-duhn-see ]

noun

, plural ten·den·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.

    Synonyms: leaning, proclivity

  3. a special and definite purpose in a novel or other literary work.


tendency

/ ˈtɛndənsɪ /

noun

  1. often foll by to an inclination, predisposition, propensity, or leaning

    a tendency to frivolity

    she has a tendency to be frivolous

  2. the general course, purport, or drift of something, esp a written work
  3. a faction, esp one within a political party

    the militant tendency



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Other Words From

  • counter·tenden·cy noun plural countertendencies

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Word History and Origins

Origin of tendency1

From the Medieval Latin word tendentia, dating back to 1620–30. See tend 1, -ency

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Word History and Origins

Origin of tendency1

C17: from Medieval Latin tendentia, from Latin tendere to tend 1

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Synonym Study

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.

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Example Sentences

Yoshiro Mori, president of the Tokyo Olympic organizing committee, on Wednesday said women have an “annoying” tendency to make meetings run unnecessarily long in comments that he sought to retract Thursday.

Humans, too, developed a tendency to clump together in the face of danger.

I still very much have those tendencies to want to preserve anything that I think is important cultural information.

Meanwhile, Graham tried to pick up his future teammates’ tendencies and favorite shooting spots.

Leaders with authoritarian tendencies and social media don’t mix well.

From Quartz

They either have a tendency to hyperbolize and make life much more glamorous and titillating than it is, or the other way.

But I do think if you look at history and you do believe that history has a tendency to do what?

In New York, district attorneys have a tendency to grow moss-bound in their roles.

Despite his tendency to speak frankly on political issues, he insists that neither he nor his group are politically active.

The Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast has a tendency to lose its guests in the middle of the night.

Many British Ferns evidence a marked tendency to “sport,” and this is a fact which the beginner should always bear in mind.

There is still a general tendency in universities on both sides of the Atlantic to treat propaganda as infection.

"It's always the way with them," sighed Miss Grains, who suffered from a complication of romantic tendency and very tight stays.

With less intelligent children traces of this tendency to take pictorial representation for reality may appear as late as four.

This tendency to take art-representations for realities reappears even in the mental attitude of a child towards his stories.

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tendancetendency tone