An inclination is a feeling that makes you want to act in a particular way.
He had neither the time nor the inclination to think of other things.
She showed no inclination to go.
He set out to follow his artistic inclinations.
Synonyms: tendency, liking, taste, turn More Synonyms of inclination
More Synonyms of inclination
inclination in British English
(ˌɪnklɪˈneɪʃən)
noun
1. (often foll byfor, 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
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
the angle between the plane of the orbit of a planet or comet and another plane, usually that of the ecliptic
8. physics another name for dip (sense 28)
Derived forms
inclinational (ˌincliˈnational)
adjective
inclination in American English
(ˌɪnkləˈneɪʃən)
noun
1.
the act of bending, leaning, or sloping; esp., a bowing or nodding
2.
an inclined surface or plane; slope; incline; slant
3.
the extent or degree of incline from a horizontal or vertical position, course, etc.
4.
the difference in direction of two lines, planes, or surfaces as measured by the angle between them;specif., a property of a line in a plane, being the angle measured from the positiveportion of the x-axis to the line in question
5.
a.
a particular disposition or bent of mind; bias; tendency
an inclination to talk
b.
a liking or preference
6.
any action, practice, or thing, toward which one is inclined
SYNONYMY NOTE: inclination refers to a more or less vague mental disposition toward some action, practice, orthing [he had an inclination to refuse]; leaning suggests a general inclination toward something but implies only the direction ofattraction and not the final choice [Dr. Green had always had a leaning toward the study of law]; bent1, propensity imply a natural or inherent inclination, the latter also connoting an almost uncontrollableattraction [she has a bent for art, he has a propensity for getting into trouble]; proclivity usually suggests strong inclination as a result of habitual indulgence, usually towardsomething bad or wrong [a proclivity to falsehood]
Derived forms
inclinational (ˌincliˈnational)
adjective
Word origin
OFr < L inclinatio < pp. of inclinare, incline
inclination in the Oil and Gas Industry
(ɪnklɪneɪʃən)
Word forms: (regular plural) inclinations
noun
(Extractive engineering: Field development, Drilling)
The inclination of a wellbore is the degree to which it deviates from the vertical.
Measuring the inclination of a wellbore (its deviation from the vertical) is comparatively simple, requiringonly a pendulum.
The drift angle is the inclination of the well bore from the vertical at the point of reference.
The inclination of a wellbore is the degree to which it deviates from the vertical.
Examples of 'inclination' in a sentence
inclination
They're dutiful but have little time or inclination.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
I would not have the time or inclination.
The Sun (2017)
He might have been an undertaker but, against his natural inclination, he became an avid partygoer.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
We discipline our natural inclination for freedom without responsibility.
Christianity Today (2000)
This shows an inclination to avoid the upper part of a vertical frame.
Freeman, Michael Collins Complete Guide to Photography (1993)
Yet most of those are primarily musicians with artistic inclinations.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
This explains why he has neither the time nor the inclination to form his own tastes.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
The natural inclination of the index finger is to point.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
This place needs a tenant with an eye for aesthetics and the inclination to show it off.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Thinking of others also gives us less time and inclination to worry about ourselves.
Lamplugh, Diana & Sterwin, Diana & Nottidge, Pamela Survive the Nine to Five - a woman's guide to working well (1989)
It demands allegiance in the teeth of our natural inclinations and normal rational processes.
The Times Literary Supplement (2012)
Learn while you have the time and the inclination.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Collections such as these enforced a natural inclination to conservatism on the part of their founders.
The Times Literary Supplement (2010)
Few chefs teach them and fewer have the inclination or time to learn.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Though she showed an aptitude for science, from an early age her inclinations were artistic.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
A hurried glance around and a slight inclination of the head was all the acknowledgment returned.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Our daughter of 22 months makes a lot of babbling conversation but is showing no real inclination to speak.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
You inherit a disposition towards positive or negative effect so there's not much that you can do to switch your natural inclination.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Nor do I have the slightest inclination to learn anything more about him.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
I don't have the time or the slightest inclination.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
There are other big banks out there, but they also seem to show little inclination to compete with the new elite in investment banking.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
So now, when they are most in need, investors have little inclination to bail them out.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
So far, despite the presence of single and available females, they have shown no inclination to do so.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Humans have been turning inedible grass into edible food via livestock since Neolithic times, and we show precious little inclination to stop.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
At 84 I feel no inclination to go out rioting anyway.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
In other languages
inclination
British English: inclination NOUN
An inclination is a feeling that makes you want to act in a particular way.
He had neither the time nor the inclination to think of other things.
American English: inclination
Brazilian Portuguese: inclinação
Chinese: 意向
European Spanish: tendencia
French: inclination
German: Neigung
Italian: inclinazione
Japanese: 好み
Korean: 의향
European Portuguese: inclinação
Latin American Spanish: tendencia
Chinese translation of 'inclination'
inclination
(ɪnklɪˈneɪʃən)
n(c/u)
(= desire) 倾(傾)向 (qīngxiàng) (种(種), zhǒng)
1 (noun)
Definition
a liking, tendency, or preference
He had neither the time nor the inclination to think about it.
Synonyms
desire
I had a strong desire to help and care for people.
longing
He felt a longing for the familiar.
wish
Clearly she had no wish for his company.
need
The need for revenge kept eating at me.
aspiration
the needs and aspirations of our pupils
craving
I had a sudden craving for a cheese sandwich.
yearning
He spoke of his yearning for another child.
hankering
Have you always had a hankering to be an actress?
2 (noun)
Definition
a liking, tendency, or preference
She set out to follow her artistic inclinations.
Synonyms
tendency
He has a tendency towards snobbery.
liking
She had a liking for good clothes.
taste
She developed a taste for journeys to hazardous regions.
turn
She has a turn for gymnastic exercises.
fancy
leaning
I always had a leaning towards sport.
bent
a bent for natural history
stomach
They have no stomach for a fight.
prejudice
bias
There were fierce attacks on the BBC for alleged political bias.
affection
She thought of him with affection.
thirst
their ever-growing thirst for cash
disposition
They show no disposition to take risks.
penchant
She had a penchant for playing jokes on people.
fondness
I've always had a fondness for jewels.
propensity
She hadn't reckoned on his propensity for violence.
aptitude
He discovered an aptitude for working in accounts.
predisposition
the predisposition to behave in a certain way
predilection
his predilection for expensive whisky
proclivity (formal)
Los Angeles's unique proclivity for experimental arty endeavour
partiality
a partiality for junk food
turn of mind
She was of a rational turn of mind.
proneness
He has a proneness to making unfortunate remarks.
Opposites
dislike
,
aversion
,
revulsion
,
antipathy
,
disinclination
3 (noun)
a polite inclination of the head
Synonyms
bow
I gave a theatrical bow and waved.
bending
nod
bowing
4 (noun)
Definition
a slope or slant
Synonyms
slope
a mountain slope
pitch
the 45-degree pitch of the roof
leaning
bend
bending
angle
The boat was leaning at a 30-degree angle.
incline
I came to a halt at the edge of a steep incline.
tilt
the tilt of the earth's axis
slant
The house is on a slant.
deviation
gradient
a hill with a gradient of 1 in 3
Additional synonyms
in the sense of affection
Definition
fondness or tenderness for a person or thing
She thought of him with affection.
Synonyms
fondness,
liking,
feeling,
love,
care,
desire,
passion,
warmth,
attachment,
goodwill,
devotion,
kindness,
inclination,
tenderness,
propensity,
friendliness,
amity (formal),
aroha (New Zealand)
in the sense of angle
Definition
the divergence between two such lines or surfaces, measured in degrees
The boat was leaning at a 30-degree angle.
Synonyms
gradient,
bank,
slope,
incline,
inclination
in the sense of aptitude
Definition
natural tendency or ability
He discovered an aptitude for working in accounts.