TENDENCY Definition & Meaning

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tendency

[ ten-duhn-see ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

plural tendencies.

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.
an inclination, bent, or predisposition to something:
a tendency to talk too much.
Synonyms: ,
a special and definite purpose in a novel or other literary work.

tendency

/ ˈ��ɛ�Ի�ə�Բ�ɪ /

noun

often foll by to an inclination, predisposition, propensity, or leaning
she has a tendency to be frivolous
a tendency to frivolity
the general course, purport, or drift of something, esp a written work
a faction, esp one within a political party
the militant tendency

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Other �y��vlog Forms

��ǳܲ�t��·�ٱ�Ի�Ĳ�·�� noun plural countertendencies

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�y��vlog 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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�y��vlog 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

Examples have not been reviewed.

That may be true especially given Trump’s tendency to announce policies that don’t get implemented.

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Even in that useful role, Musk's tendency to directly attack popular programs like Social Security have made him a nuisance for party strategists.

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However, AI chatbots can be programmed to mimic certain human tendencies, like having a sensitive and empathetic understanding of a patient and giving positive affirmations.

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Where voting is optional, there's a tendency for special interest groups to become overly influential as those who are less engaged decide not to cast a ballot.

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Jason says the US is about 40% of the video games market, so it's important to appeal to players there, and there's a "natural tendency" to follow the norms.

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