tendency

noun

ten·​den·​cy ˈten-dən(t)-sē How to pronounce tendency (audio)
plural tendencies
1
a
: a proneness to a particular kind of thought or action
b
: direction or approach toward a place, object, effect, or limit
2
a
: the purposeful trend of something written or said : aim
b
: deliberate but indirect advocacy
Choose the Right Synonym for tendency

tendency, trend, drift, tenor, current mean movement in a particular direction.

tendency implies an inclination sometimes amounting to an impelling force.

a general tendency toward inflation

trend applies to the general direction maintained by a winding or irregular course.

the long-term trend of the stock market is upward

drift may apply to a tendency determined by external forces

the drift of the population away from large cities

or it may apply to an underlying or obscure trend of meaning or discourse.

got the drift of her argument

tenor stresses a clearly perceptible direction and a continuous, undeviating course.

the tenor of the times

current implies a clearly defined but not necessarily unalterable course.

an encounter that changed the current of my life

Examples of tendency in a Sentence

The economy has shown a general tendency toward inflation. a tendency to drop things
Recent Examples on the Web The Warriors’ hot-and-cold tendencies were on display in the third quarter, at one point rebuilding their lead to as much as 17 points before seeing New York close within 73-67 with a 13-2 run. Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 1 Mar. 2024 Criterion’s warts are on display as well—its tendency to ignore Black filmmakers, the heavy toll exacted by its streaming strategy—further helping steer the piece away from Valentine territory. Longreads, 1 Mar. 2024 Lately, he’s been a vocal proponent of Ukraine funding and of our traditional alliances, pushing back against the isolationist tendency on the right. The Editors, National Review, 29 Feb. 2024 Loss Aversion: The Fear Of Letting Go Another pervasive bias is loss aversion, the tendency to avoid losses over acquiring equivalent gains. Dan Irvine, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 But Jamie Cohen, Ph.D., and an assistant professor of digital culture and media at Queens College, tells Rolling Stone these types of content creators are simply tapping into an existing online tendency. Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 27 Feb. 2024 Despite a reputation for having a tendency toward down-and-dirty mud fights, the South Carolina primary this year was unusually sleepy, with no viral ads or explosive revelations. Compiled By Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 25 Feb. 2024 Habituation is the tendency of neurons to fire less and less in response to things that are constant. TIME, 22 Feb. 2024 Bayern's defense also has a worrying tendency to collapse under pressure, too. James Ellingworth, USA TODAY, 22 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tendency.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Medieval Latin tendentia, noun derivative of Latin tendent-, tendens, present participle of tendere "to extend outward, stretch, spread out, direct (one's course), aim (at a purpose)" (Medieval Latin, "to lead toward, move in a particular direction") — more at tender entry 3

First Known Use

1628, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Time Traveler
The first known use of tendency was in 1628

Dictionary Entries Near tendency

Cite this Entry

“Tendency.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tendency. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

tendency

noun
ten·​den·​cy ˈten-dən-sē How to pronounce tendency (audio)
plural tendencies
1
: a direction or approach toward a place, object, result, or limit
2
: a leaning toward a particular kind of thought or action

More from Merriam-Webster on tendency

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