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
As a recent graduate student, the prospect of applying for jobs fills me with a great deal of anxiety, especially because of my struggles with stage fright and a tendency to stutter when faced with questions.
—
Harriette Cole, The Mercury News, 8 Apr. 2024
But that convenience poses risks, including vulnerability to errors, fraud and the tendency to overspend.
—Kimberly Palmer Of Nerdwallet, Quartz, 8 Apr. 2024
Researchers attributed this trend to rap songs’ tendency to repeat lines and rhymes.
—Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Apr. 2024
Is there a way to see what the tendencies are for cloudy cover on that date?
—Marshall Shepherd, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
Ben-Gurion had autocratic tendencies and was consumed by party infighting during his later years in office.
—Anshel Pfeffer, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2024
Tesla has to stay competitive: Car shoppers have shown a willingness to stray away from their loyalty tendencies when considering an EV purchase, according to Caldwell.
—Brooke Crothers, Forbes, 30 Mar. 2024
Carmichael’s tendency to treat the people in his life like props makes for great television with slightly dubious ethics.
—The New Yorker, 29 Mar. 2024
Obviously, this is not an approach to grief that any modern therapist would endorse, which just goes to show how much Alice, for all her talk about going back to work and her tendency to show her knowledge of history, has internalized the stifling attitudes of the time.
—Leslie Felperin, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Mar. 2024
Harriette Cole, The Mercury News, 8 Apr. 2024
But that convenience poses risks, including vulnerability to errors, fraud and the tendency to overspend.
—Kimberly Palmer Of Nerdwallet, Quartz, 8 Apr. 2024
Researchers attributed this trend to rap songs’ tendency to repeat lines and rhymes.
—Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Apr. 2024
Is there a way to see what the tendencies are for cloudy cover on that date?
—Marshall Shepherd, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
Ben-Gurion had autocratic tendencies and was consumed by party infighting during his later years in office.
—Anshel Pfeffer, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2024
Tesla has to stay competitive: Car shoppers have shown a willingness to stray away from their loyalty tendencies when considering an EV purchase, according to Caldwell.
—Brooke Crothers, Forbes, 30 Mar. 2024
Carmichael’s tendency to treat the people in his life like props makes for great television with slightly dubious ethics.
—The New Yorker, 29 Mar. 2024
Obviously, this is not an approach to grief that any modern therapist would endorse, which just goes to show how much Alice, for all her talk about going back to work and her tendency to show her knowledge of history, has internalized the stifling attitudes of the time.
—Leslie Felperin, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tendency.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near tendency
Cite this Entry
“Tendency.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tendency. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share