modulation of the voice; change in pitch or tone of voice.
Also flection. Grammar.
the process or device of adding affixes to or changing the shape of a base to give it a different syntactic function without changing its form class.
the paradigm of a word.
a single pattern of formation of a paradigm: noun inflection; verb inflection.
the change in the shape of a word, generally by affixation, by means of which a change of meaning or relationship to some other word or group of words is indicated.
the affix added to produce this change, as the -s in dogs or the -ed in played.
the systematic description of such processes in a given language, as in serves from serve, sings from sing, and harder from hard (contrasted with derivation).
a bend or angle.
Mathematics. a change of curvature from convex to concave or vice versa.
Also especially British, in·flex·ion .
Origin of inflection
1525–35; variant spelling of inflexion<Latin inflexiōn- (stem of inflexiō) a bending. See inflect, -ion
Companies like Starz are already near that inflection point, and Disney et al.
Major media reorganizations aim to bridge the divide to companies’ streaming futures|Tim Peterson|October 14, 2020|Digiday
The mid 20th century was an inflection point in a number of profound chemical and stratigraphic changes in the Earth system.
Dawn of the Heliocene - Issue 90: Something Green|Summer Praetorius|September 16, 2020|Nautilus
For a president who believes in playing the long game, this was an inflection point.
Congress Cooperates, Obama Pushes Hard, and Closing Gitmo Has a Chance|Daniel Klaidman|December 12, 2013|DAILY BEAST
In each role he seemed to be behaving, not acting; every gesture and inflection was instinctive.
River Phoenix’s Fatal Halloween, 20 Years On|Andrew Romano|October 31, 2013|DAILY BEAST
With the spoken word, we use our tone, inflection and volume to question, exclaim and convey our feelings.
The Rise and Fall of the Infamous SarcMark|Keith Houston|September 24, 2013|DAILY BEAST
And that truth encapsulates the inflection point now upon us.
The End of U.S. Imperium—Finally!|David Stockman|September 3, 2013|DAILY BEAST
“The president sees this as an inflection point in the war, and that is reflected in these policies,” says a top Obama adviser.
Obama: I Make the Drone Decisions|Daniel Klaidman|May 23, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Inflection is a change in the form of a word indicating some change in its meaning.
An Advanced English Grammar with Exercises|George Lyman Kittredge
Clavering was watching her intently, his ear attuned to every inflection of her voice.
Black Oxen|Gertrude Franklin Horn Atherton
Her voice was rather loud, clear and strong, perhaps wanting variety of inflection.
The Hero|William Somerset Maugham
Every inflection of the speakers voice and his whole attitude, however, indicated his complete disbelief in anything of the sort.
The Young Continentals at Bunker Hill|John T. McIntyre
The distinction between the active and passive voice, in the Odjibwa language, is formed by the inflection ego.
The Indian in his Wigwam|Henry R. Schoolcraft
British Dictionary definitions for inflection
inflection
inflexion
/ (ɪnˈflɛkʃən) /
noun
modulation of the voice
(grammar)a change in the form of a word, usually modification or affixation, signalling change in such grammatical functions as tense, voice, mood, person, gender, number, or case
an angle or bend
the act of inflecting or the state of being inflected
mathsa change in curvature from concave to convex or vice versaSee also point of inflection
A change in the form of a word to reflect different grammatical functions of the word in a sentence. English has lost most of its inflections. Those that remain are chiefly possessive ('s), as in “the boy's hat”; plural (-s), as in “the three girls”; and past tense (-d or -ed), as in cared. Other inflections are found in pronouns — as in he, him, his — and in irregular words such as think/thought, child/children, and mouse/mice.