Definitions for tendency
ˈtɛn dən siten·den·cy

Princeton's WordNet(3.00 / 4 votes)Rate this definition:

1. inclination, disposition, tendencynoun

   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"

2. leaning, propensity, tendencynoun

   an inclination to do something

   "he felt leanings toward frivolity"

3. tendency, inclinationnoun

   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. tendency, trendnoun

   a general direction in which something tends to move

   "the shoreward tendency of the current"; "the trend of the stock market"

Wiktionary(1.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. tendencynoun

   a likelihood of behaving in a particular way or going in a particular direction; a tending toward.

   Denim has a tendency to fade.

2. Etymology: Ultimately from the Latin tendere / tendō.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Tendence, Tendencynoun

   Etymology: from tend.

   1. Direction or course towards any place or object.

   It is not much business that distracts any man; but the want of purity, constancy, and tendency towards God. Taylor.

   Writings of this kind, if conducted with candour, have a more particular tendency to the good of their country than any other compositions. Joseph Addison, Freeholder, №. 40.

   We may acquaint ourselves with the powers and properties, the tendencies and inclinations, of body and spirit. Isaac Watts.

   All of them are innocent, and most of them had a moral tendency, to soften the virulence of parties, or laugh out of countenance some vice or folly. Jonathan Swift.

   2. Direction or course toward any inference or result; drift.

   These opinions are of so little moment, that, like motes in the sun, their tendencies are little noticed. John Locke.

Webster Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Tendencynoun

   direction or course toward any place, object, effect, or result; drift; causal or efficient influence to bring about an effect or result

Matched Categories

1. • Attitude
   • Direction
   • Disposition

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'tendency' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #3329

2. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'tendency' in Written Corpus Frequency: #4589

3. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'tendency' in Nouns Frequency: #1204

How to pronounce tendency?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say tendency in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of tendency in Chaldean Numerology is: 5

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of tendency in Pythagorean Numerology is: 9

Examples of tendency in a Sentence

1. Tony Blair:

   I just want to say this. I want to say it gently but I want to say it firmly: There is a tendency for the world to say to America, "the big problems of the world are yours, you go and sort them out," and then to worry when America wants to sort them out.

2. Nick Merrill:

   I know there's a tendency to ascribe political motives to all she does. But what you saw yesterday was simply a woman who isn't going to stand by and watch other women be bullied, insulted and demeaned, and more broadly, as you heard her say in her speech, when it comes to standing up for core American values, she's going to speak out.

3. Sir Karl Popper:

   There is an almost universal tendency, perhaps an inborn tendency, to suspect the good faith of a man who holds opinions that differ from our own opinions... It obviously endangers the freedom and the objectivity of our discussion if we attack a person instead of attacking an opinion or, more precisely, a theory.

4. Barack Obama:

   Real progress, people have a tendency when the fires are put out, once the cars aren't being tipped over...then folks want to go back and focus on whatever reality TV thing is going on.

5. Thomas Babington Macaulay, 1st Baron Macaulay:

   Logicians may reason about abstractions. But the great mass of men must have images. The strong tendency of the multitude in all ages and nations to idolatry can be explained on no other principle.

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