tendency
noun
ten·den·cy
ˈten-dən(t)-sē 
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
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
In his new biography of Barnes, Blake Gopnik foregrounds this democratic ethos, focusing specifically on the philanthropist’s contributions to building racial equality—despite Barnes’s notoriously cantankerous personality and his tendency toward invective and slur.
—
Kelly Presutti, ARTnews.com, 12 Mar. 2025
Spelling has opened up about her hydrophobic tendencies before, revealing in an April episode of misSPELLING that she had been hospitalized twice over several months for fainting.
—Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 12 Mar. 2025
According to Brenda, who has bizarre energy and a tendency to trail off mid-thought, the house was abandoned after a fire.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Mar. 2025
The Cognitive Perspective Humans are wired to find patterns, even where none exist—a tendency known as apophenia.
—Mark Travers, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tendency
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Kelly Presutti, ARTnews.com, 12 Mar. 2025
Spelling has opened up about her hydrophobic tendencies before, revealing in an April episode of misSPELLING that she had been hospitalized twice over several months for fainting.
—Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 12 Mar. 2025
According to Brenda, who has bizarre energy and a tendency to trail off mid-thought, the house was abandoned after a fire.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Mar. 2025
The Cognitive Perspective Humans are wired to find patterns, even where none exist—a tendency known as apophenia.
—Mark Travers, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tendency
Cite this Entry
“Tendency.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tendency. Accessed 19 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tendency
noun
ten·den·cy
ˈten-dən-sē
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
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