tendency
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ten·den·cy
(tĕn′dən-sē)n. pl. ten·den·cies
1.
a. A characteristic likelihood: fabric that has a tendency to wrinkle.
b. A predisposition to think, act, or proceed in a particular way: his tendency to exaggerate.
c. A characteristic pattern or point of view: the book's tendency to oversimplify events.
2. Movement or prevailing movement in a given direction: observed the tendency of the wind; the shoreward tendency of the current.
[Medieval Latin tendentia, from Latin tendēns, tendent-, present participle of tendere, to tend; see tend1.]
Synonyms: tendency, trend, current, drift, tenor
These nouns refer to the direction or course of an action or thought. Tendency implies a predisposition to proceed in a particular way: "The tendency of our own day is ... towards firm, solid, verifiable knowledge" (William H. Mallock).
Trend often applies to a general or prevailing direction, especially within a particular sphere: "What makes time an arrow is entropy, the coming apart of all things, the universal trend toward disorder" (Jennifer Ackerman).
Current suggests a course or flow, as of opinion, especially one representative of a given time or place: "the whole current of modern feeling" (James Bryce).
A drift is a tendency that seems driven by a current of events: a drift toward anarchy as the government collapsed. Tenor implies a general or ongoing course: "The tempo, the tenor of life on the mountain and around the mine began to change" (Anita Desai).
These nouns refer to the direction or course of an action or thought. Tendency implies a predisposition to proceed in a particular way: "The tendency of our own day is ... towards firm, solid, verifiable knowledge" (William H. Mallock).
Trend often applies to a general or prevailing direction, especially within a particular sphere: "What makes time an arrow is entropy, the coming apart of all things, the universal trend toward disorder" (Jennifer Ackerman).
Current suggests a course or flow, as of opinion, especially one representative of a given time or place: "the whole current of modern feeling" (James Bryce).
A drift is a tendency that seems driven by a current of events: a drift toward anarchy as the government collapsed. Tenor implies a general or ongoing course: "The tempo, the tenor of life on the mountain and around the mine began to change" (Anita Desai).
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
tendency
(ˈtɛndənsɪ)n, pl -cies
1. (often foll by to) an inclination, predisposition, propensity, or leaning: she has a tendency to be frivolous; a tendency to frivolity.
2. the general course, purport, or drift of something, esp a written work
3. (Government, Politics & Diplomacy) a faction, esp one within a political party: the militant tendency.
[C17: from Medieval Latin tendentia, from Latin tendere to tend1]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
ten•den•cy
(ˈtɛn dən si)n., pl. -cies.
1. a natural or prevailing disposition to move, proceed, or act in some direction or toward some point, end, or result.
2. an inclination, bent, or predisposition to something.
3. a special and definite purpose in a novel or other literary work.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
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| Noun | 1. | tendency - 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" attitude, mental attitude - a complex mental state involving beliefs and feelings and values and dispositions to act in certain ways; "he had the attitude that work was fun" direction - a general course along which something has a tendency to develop; "I couldn't follow the direction of his thoughts"; "his ideals determined the direction of his career"; "they proposed a new direction for the firm" trend, drift, movement - a general tendency to change (as of opinion); "not openly liberal but that is the trend of the book"; "a broad movement of the electorate to the right" Call - a special disposition (as if from a divine source) to pursue a particular course; "he was disappointed that he had not heard the Call" denominationalism - the tendency, in Protestantism, to separate into religious denominations or to advocate such separations devices - an inclination or desire; used in the plural in the phrase `left to your own devices'; "eventually the family left the house to the devices of this malevolent force"; "the children were left to their own devices" sympathy, understanding - an inclination to support or be loyal to or to agree with an opinion; "his sympathies were always with the underdog"; "I knew I could count on his understanding" favoritism, favouritism - an inclination to favor some person or group bent, set - a relatively permanent inclination to react in a particular way; "the set of his mind was obvious" literalism - a disposition to interpret statements in their literal sense perseveration - the tendency for a memory or idea to persist or recur without any apparent stimulus for it predisposition - an inclination beforehand to interpret statements in a particular way dislike, disfavor, disfavour, disapproval - an inclination to withhold approval from some person or group partisanship, partiality - an inclination to favor one group or view or opinion over alternatives impartiality, nonpartisanship - an inclination to weigh both views or opinions equally |
| 2. |  tendency - an inclination to do something; "he felt leanings toward frivolity"inclination - that toward which you are inclined to feel a liking; "her inclination is for classical music" | |
| 3. | tendency - 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" heterosis, hybrid vigor - (genetics) the tendency of a crossbred organism to have qualities superior to those of either parent disposition - a natural or acquired habit or characteristic tendency in a person or thing; "a swelling with a disposition to rupture" buoyancy - the tendency to float in water or other liquid electronegativity, negativity - (chemistry) the tendency of an atom or radical to attract electrons in the formation of an ionic bond stainability - (cytology) the capacity of cells or cell parts to stain specifically with certain dyes desire - an inclination to want things; "a man of many desires" | |
| 4. |  tendency - a general direction in which something tends to move; "the shoreward tendency of the current"; "the trend of the stock market" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
tendency
noun
1. trend, drift, movement, turning, heading, course, drive, bearing, direction, bias the government's tendency towards secrecy in recent years
2. inclination, leaning, bent, liability, readiness, disposition, penchant, propensity, susceptibility, predisposition, predilection, proclivity, partiality, proneness He has a tendency towards snobbery.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
tendency
noun1. An inclination to something:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
sklontendence
tendenstilbøjelighed
taipumussuunta
tendencija
iránytendencia
tilhneiging
傾向
경향
nagnjenje
benägenhet
ความโน้มเอียง
xu hướng
tendency
[ˈtendənsɪ] N1. (gen) → tendencia f
to have a tendency to do sth [person] → tener tendencia a hacer algo (Med) → tener propensión or ser propenso a hacer algo
he has a tendency to exaggerate → tiene tendencia a exagerar
there is a tendency for companies to recruit fewer staff → existe tendencia por parte de las empresas a emplear a menos trabajadores
there is a tendency for prices to rise → los precios tienen tendencia a subir
she has a tendency to or towards depression → tiene propensión or es propensa a la depresión
to have a tendency to do sth [person] → tener tendencia a hacer algo (Med) → tener propensión or ser propenso a hacer algo
he has a tendency to exaggerate → tiene tendencia a exagerar
there is a tendency for companies to recruit fewer staff → existe tendencia por parte de las empresas a emplear a menos trabajadores
there is a tendency for prices to rise → los precios tienen tendencia a subir
she has a tendency to or towards depression → tiene propensión or es propensa a la depresión
2. (= leaning) left-wing/right-wing tendencies → tendencias fpl izquierdistas/derechistas
suicidal tendencies → tendencias fpl or inclinaciones fpl suicidas
suicidal tendencies → tendencias fpl or inclinaciones fpl suicidas
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
tendency
[ˈtɛndənsi] n (= inclination) → tendance fShe has artistic tendencies → Elle est d'un naturel artistique.
to have a tendency towards sth → avoir tendance à qch
He has a tendency towards snobbery → Il a tendance à être snob.
to have a tendency to do sth → avoir tendance à faire qch
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
tendency
n → Tendenz f (geh); (= physical predisposition) → Neigung f; artistic tendencies → künstlerische Neigungen pl; to have a tendency to be/do something → gern or gewöhnlich etw sein/tun; (person, style of writing also) → dazu neigen or tendieren, etw zu sein/zu tun; he had an annoying tendency to forget things → er hatte die ärgerliche Angewohnheit, alles zu vergessen; there is a tendency for prices to rise in autumn → gewöhnlich steigen die Preise im Herbst; a strong upward tendency (St Ex) → eine stark steigende Tendenz
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
tend2
(tend) verb1. to be likely (to do something); to do (something) frequently. Plants tend to die in hot weather; He tends to get angry.
2. to move, lean or slope in a certain direction. This bicycle tends to(wards) the left.
ˈtendency – plural ˈtendencies – noun likelihood; inclination. He has a tendency to forget things.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
tendency
→ مَيْل tendence tendens Tendenz τάση tendencia taipumus tendance tendencija tendenza 傾向 경향 neiging tendens tendencja tendência тенденция benägenhet ความโน้มเอียง eğilim xu hướng 倾向Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
tendency
n. tendencia.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012
tendency
n (pl -cies) tendenciaEnglish-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.