From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishinclinationin‧cli‧na‧tion /ˌɪŋkləˈneɪʃən/ ●○○ AWL noun 1 [countable, uncountable]WANT a feeling that makes you want to do something My natural inclination was to say no.inclination to do something Neither of my children showed the slightest inclination to follow me into journalism. Teachers simply do not have the time or the inclination to investigate these matters.2 [countable, uncountable]THINK/HAVE THE OPINION THATBEHAVE a tendency to think or behave in a particular wayinclination to do something an inclination to see everything in political termsinclination to/towards She’s troubled by her son’s inclination toward atheism.by inclination Bart was a romantic by inclination.3 BEND[countable] a movement made down towards the ground She greeted Maggie with an inclination of the head.4 [countable, uncountable]TEM formal a slope, or the angle at which something slopes
Examples from the Corpus
inclination• For Suzuki adherents, music is an inclination innate in all of us.• With an inclination to believe in archetypes of goodness.• a 62-degree inclination• Diana's inevitable inclination was to imitate Sarah.• Lettie purposely lingered behind Patrice, fighting off her natural inclination to simply ignore the woman and brush past her.• The region's natural inclination, like that of a bicycle, is to be unstable.• She showed no inclination whatsoever to go forward.• She refused to let him drive, and she had no time - no inclination? - for making love with him.natural inclination• It is a natural inclination and instinct to want our effort recognised and appreciated.• He was a marketing vice president and a highly creative and task-oriented person with a natural inclination toward dominant behavior.• Lettie purposely lingered behind Patrice, fighting off her natural inclination to simply ignore the woman and brush past her.• Though her natural inclination was to turn round and zoom straight back again, Mildred could see that there was no escape.• His natural inclination is to stay as close to the slope as possible, because it feels safer and more secure.• Cranmer's natural inclination was for compromise and mercy.• The region's natural inclination, like that of a bicycle, is to be unstable.• The natural inclination is to increase the dosage to continue the benefits.inclination to do something• He also had an inclination to attach himself, whether as ally or enemy, to dangerous and disreputable people.• And I wondered if she was right, if Clarisa was losing her last inclination to do things the ordinary way.• Neither of my children showed the merest inclination to follow me into journalism or television.• He claimed Stockton and Langbaurgh had shown no inclination to negotiate and only Middlesbrough had demonstrated any flexibility.• But none, I assure you, of an age or inclination to elope with an adolescent foreigner!• She stared at the beautiful garden beyond the terrace, fighting the inclination to weep.• Not all in higher education have had the inclination to cover up or resist community service.• The inclinations to treat animals kindly are grounded in the analogies to be observed in human behaviour. 