Tendency

Definitions: Tendency

Tendency

Noun

1. 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".

2. An inclination to do something; "he felt leanings toward frivolity".

3. 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".

4. A general direction in which something tends to move: "the shoreward tendency of the current"; "the trend of the stock market".

Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
 

Date "tendency" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1258. (references)

Etymology: Tendency \Tend"en*cy\, noun; plural Tendencies. [Latin expression tendents, -entis, present participle of tendere: compare to the French expression tendance. See Tend to move.]. (Websters 1913)

Synonyms: Tendency

Direction

Noun: direction, bearing, course, vector; set, drift, tenor; tendency; incidence; bending, trending; Verb: dip, tack, aim, collimation; steering steerage.

Intention

Final cause; raison d'etre; cui bono; object, aim, end; "the be all and the end all"; drift; (meaning); tendency; destination, mark, point, butt, goal, target, bull's-eye,

Necessity

Noun: involuntariness; instinct, blind impulse; inborn proclivity, innate proclivity; native tendency, natural tendency; natural impulse, predetermination.

Speciality

Noun: {opp. } speciality, specialite; individuality, individuity; particularity, peculiarity; idiocrasy; (tendency); personality, characteristic, mannerism, idiosyncrasy; specificness; Adjective: singularity; (unconformity); reading, version, lection; state; trait; distinctive feature; technicality; differentia.

Tendency

Noun: tendency; aptness, aptitude; proneness, proclivity, bent, turn, tone, bias, set, leaning to, predisposition, inclination, propensity, susceptibility; conatus, nisus; liability; quality, nature, temperament; idiocrasy, idiosyncrasy; cast, vein, grain; humor, mood; drift; (direction); conduciveness, conducement; applicability; (utility); subservience; (instrumentality).

Crosswords: Tendency

This part didn't concern me. The main problem with Mark was that he was intimidating, and he had a tendency to snap. (S.L.C. Punk!; writing credit: James Merendino.)

Aggression is a natural, human tendency -- although you and I come by it another way. (Buffy the Vampire Slayer; writing credit: Doreen Spicer)

Take for a start the sheeps' tendency to 'op about the field on their 'ind legs. (Monty Python's Flying Circus; writing credit: Douglas Adams; Graham Chapman)

You and I have a tendency towards corpulence. (Spartacus; writing credit: Howard Fast; Dalton Trumbo)

Uh, no. But I do know that occasionally you have a tendency to act in a phallic fashion. (Tape; writing credit: Stephen Belber)

I have a tendency to wear my mind on my sleeve ("One Week"; performing artist: Barenaked Ladies)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Books

• A Certain Tendency of the Hollywood Cinema, 1930-1980 (reference)

• Central Tendency and Variability (Sage University Papers Series. Quantitative Applications in the Social Sciences, No. 83) (reference)

• Criminal Tendency and Palmistry: Recognizing Criminal Tendencies in the Hand (reference)

• Inquiry into the Character and Tendency of the American Colonization and American Anti-Slavery Societies (reference)

• Sensation Seeking Tendency in Mountain Climbers: A 20th Century Phenomenon (reference)

  (more book examples)

Periodicals

• Konjunkturbarometer For Tjanstesektorer = Business Tendency Survey For The Service Sectors (reference)

  (more periodical examples)

Music

• Interferences Are Often Requested: Reverse Tendency As Parts Become Nearly Nothing (reference)

• Tendency [IMPORT] (reference)

  (more classical music examples; more popular music examples)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Flooding in low-lying area in Des Moines, Iowa. The area floods frequently. A soil survey shows soils with a tendency for frequent flooding.Credit: Lynn Betts.

Abandoned brick schoolhouse. McIntosh County, Oklahoma. The tendency is towards consolidation of county schools.Credit: Library of Congress.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

'Tis not a change from the present state, which perhaps corruption or decay has introduced, that makes an inroad upon the government, but the tendency of it to injure or oppress the people, and to set up one part or party, with a distinction from, and an unequal subjection of the rest. (Second Treatise of Government)

It went to the extreme length of directly opposing the "brutally destructive" tendency of Communism, and of proclaiming its supreme and impartial contempt of all class struggles. (reference)

Segregation with the sanction of law, therefore, has a tendency to [retard] the educational and mental development of negro children and to deprive them of some of the benefits they would receive in a racial[ly] integrated school system." Whatever may have been the extent of psychological knowledge at the time of Plessy v. Ferguson, this finding is amply supported by modern authority. (reference)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

There is, I fear, at the present time, an increasing tendency to irreverent treatment of the name of God and of subjects connected with religion.

A tendency to speculation, though it may keep woman quiet, as it does man, yet makes her sad.

The multitudes have a tendency to accept a master.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Health

Some illnesses can lead to obesity or a tendency to gain weight. (references)

Once they have been removed, these tumors have a tendency to return unpredictably. (references)

Patients frequently use weighted walking aids because of their tendency to fall backward. (references)

Business

The rise in imports from Asia, discussed below, reflects this tendency. (references)

There is a growing tendency of replacing this party with an overseas trip, given the similarity in costs. (references)

Following the global tendency, the transportation companies are increasing their portfolio of services offered. (references)

Children

Uganda

According to official statistics, there is a 95 percent enrollment rate; however, this figure widely is believed to be inflated as a result of both school dropouts and a tendency of some schools to inflate attendance figures for funding purposes. (references)

Civil Liberties

Russia

Rulings upholding libel and other lawsuits against journalists served to reinforce the already significant tendency toward self-censorship. (references)

Ukraine

The print media, both independent and government-owned, sometimes demonstrated a tendency toward self-censorship on matters that the Government deemed sensitive. (references)

Discrimination

Sao Tome and Principe

The Constitution provides for the equality of all citizens regardless of sex, race, racial origin, political tendency, creed, or philosophic conviction; however, the Government has not sought actively to enforce these provisions. (references)

Economic History

Ghana

Ghanaian values are very traditional, and this tendency extends to business dealings as well. (references)

Switzerland

The tendency is not to specialize in a good or service but to deal in a wide range of products and services. (references)

Human Rights

India

There was a significant upsurge in militant violence against security forces, and a tendency to use heavy weapons such as hand grenades and rockets. (references)

Russia

This tendency commonly is attributed to stressful conditions throughout the armed forces--for example, degrading and substandard living conditions persist throughout the armed forces--and to the widespread placement of inexperienced reserve officers, on active duty for 2 years, in primary troop leadership positions. (references)

Haiti

The average period of preventive detention for these persons has decreased to approximately 1 month, compared to several months in 2000. In 1999 the international community expressed concern about the authorities' tendency to detain persons in violation of valid court orders for their release; the practice continued during the year. (references)

Trade

Hungary

Furthermore, there is a clear tendency for consolidation in the sector as a number of small banks have been bought or merged with larger banks. (references)

Netherlands

The Dutch tendency to support a level playing field in trade matters and their depth of experience in trade positions them as the genuine "neutral" traders of Europe. (references)

Greece

Capital-market growth has been hampered by the predominance of small, family-owned firms, and the tendency either to invest in real estate and government bonds or to hold savings in bank deposits. (references)

Travel

Costa Rica

While most crimes are non-violent, criminals, including juveniles, have shown a greater tendency in recent years to use violence. (references)

Women

Bhutan

Among some groups, inheritance practices favoring daughters reportedly account for the large numbers of women who own shops and businesses and for an accompanying tendency of women to drop out of higher education to go into business. (references)

Worker Rights

Hong Kong

The maximum amount of compensation is $20,000 (HK$156,000). However, labor activists complain that complainants are discouraged by the Labor Relations Tribunal's tendency to push conciliation rather than issue orders. (references)

Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Expressions using "tendency": barometric tendency ♦ bearish tendency ♦ central tendency ♦ curling tendency ♦ heating tendency ♦ marked tendency ♦ measure of central tendency ♦ militant Tendency ♦ pressure tendency ♦ tendency equation ♦ tendency of pressure ♦ tendency to compromise. Additional references.

Ending with "tendency": counter-tendency.

Afrikaan

lus (disposal, inclination). (various references)

Albanian

tendencë (aim, drift, inclination, leaning, proclivity, set, trend), prirje (affinity, aptitude, bent, current, disposition, drift, flair, fondness, gift, habit, inclination, leaning, liability, mission, penchant, proclivity, propensity, run, set, taste, trend, vocation). (various references)

Arabic 

‏ميل (affection, aptness, bent, bevel, cant, disposition, flair, genius, gradient, gust, gusto, inclination, lean, leaning, liking, obliqueness, obliquity, penchant, persuasion, ply, predilection, predisposition, proclivity, propensity, readiness, run, sentiment, set, slant, slope, strain, tip, turn, use, will), ‏هدف (aim, butt, clout, end, goal, ideal, intent, intention, mark, object, objective, plan, purpose, study, target, view), ‏نزعة (bent, bias, direction, disposition, genius, leaning, movement, penchant, ply, predisposition, proclivity, strain, streak, temper, trend, wind), ‏قابلية (capability, disposition, faculty, predisposition, susceptibility), ‏غاية (aim, destination, end, goal, mean, object, plan, point, purpose, uttermost), ‏غرض (aim, destination, end, intent, objective, point, prejudice, purpose, study), ‏إنحناء (bend, bowing, crook, crouch, curvature, dipping, drooping, duck, stoop), ‏إتجاه (bearing, course, direction, drift, movement, orientation, persuasion, quarter, range, sense, temper, tenor, trend). (various references)

Bulgarian 

склонност (addiction, affectation, aptitude, bent, bias, disposition, fancy, fondness, habit, inclination, leaning, liability, liking, partiality, penchant, ply, predilection, predispose, prepossession, proclivity, proneness, propensity, relish, squint, stomach, taste, turn, vein), тенденция (drift, hang, movement, pattern, ply, proclivity, proneness, propensity, run, set, stream, tenor, tide, trend, turn, vein), направление (bound, direction, drift, heading, range, run, set, track, turn, way). (various references)

Chinese 

趨勢 (trend), 倾向 (declination, Favored, Favoring, inclination, Proclivity, Propensities, Propensity, Tendencies), 動向 (trend), 勢� � (momentum), 勢 (conditions, influence), 傾向 (trend). (various references)

Czech

tendence (bias, disposition, movement, trend, undercurrent), smìr (course, direction, movement, tack, trend, way), sklon (aptitude, bent, bevel, bias, dip, disposition, drive, fall, gradient, inclination, lean, leaning, penchant, ply, proclivity, propensity, rake, slant, slope, strain, tilt, twist). (various references)

Danish

tendens (bias, disposal, inclination, market trend, trend). (various references)

Dutch

wilsbeschikking (predisposition, testament, will), tendens, neiging (disposal, drive, impulse, inclination, instinct, tilt, urge), gesteldheid (condition, predisposition, state), aanleg (accomplishment, aptitude, design, disposition, habitus, outline, predisposition, sketch, talent, turn). (various references)

Esperanto

tendenco, inklino (disposal, inclination), emo, dispozicio (predisposition). (various references)

Faeroese

rák, lyndi (disposal, inclination), hugur (disposal, inclination, lust, passion), hugrák, helling. (various references)

Farsi 

میل (Bar, Delight, Desire, Goo, List, Perch, Ramrod, Rod, Stanchion, Stomach, Streak, Turquoise, Will, Zest), گرایش (Attitude, Ism, Propensity), تمایل (Gust, Hang, Inclination, List, Pendulum, Preoccupation, Sentiment, Streak, Tenor, Tilt, Turquoise, Vein, Would, Yen), توجه (Assiduity, Attendance, Attention, Consideration, Heed, Keep, Notation, Notice, Regard, Remark, Tent), زمینه (Background, Base, Basis, Conspectus, Context, Design, Ground, Groundwork, Outline, Root, Sketch, Terrain, Theme), علاقه مختصر, استعداد (Amplitude, Aptitude, Aptness, Art, Brilliance, Caliber, Capacity, Genius, Gift, Ingenuity, Knack, Liability, Property, Shift, Turquoise, Verve). (various references)

Finnish

taipumus (aptitude, inclination, predisposition, talent). (various references)

French

tendance (a tendency, temperament), aptitude. (various references)

Frisian

oanstriid (disposal, inclination), oanfjochting (disposal, inclination). (various references)

German

Tendenz (barometric tendency, bias, direction, drift, intention, market trend, pressure tendency, run, slant, tenor, trend), neigung (affection, affinity, angle of inclination, aptitude, batter, bent, bias, declination, decline, dip, disposition, fall, fondness, geologic dip of planar features, grade, gradient, inclination, incline, lean, leaning, list, obliqueness, penchant, pitch, plunge, predisposition, proclivity, proneness, propensity, rake, slant, slope, strike, taste, tendance, tilt, turn), absicht (aim, design, envisaged policy, game, intent, intention, meaning, mind, object, plan, purpose, purposes, tenor, view). (various references)

Greek 

ροπή (inclination, moment, moment coefficient, proclivity, propensity, torque, trend), τάση (affinity, bent, drift, E or emf, electromotive force, inclination, potential, potential difference, proclivity, strain, stress, tension, trend, voltage). (various references)

Hebrew 

מ�'מ�" (aim, drift, strain, tenor, tide, trend), כוון (aim, course, direction, intention, intonation, lead, orientation, tack, tenor, way), ט� �"� צי�", � טי�" (bent, deviation, disposition, inclination, leaning, liking, penchant, pitch, predilection, proclivity, propensity, rake, set, slant, spirit, streak, taste, tenor, tide, tilt, trend). (various references)

Hungarian

tendencia (drift, tenor, trend), irányzat (drift, on the up grade, school, set, stream, tenor, trend, trend-line), hajlandóság (inclination, leaning, notion, propensity, stomach, willingness), hajlam (aptitude, bent, bias, dispose, disposition, gift, hank, inclination, instinct, leaning, liability, penchant, predisposition, proclivity, proneness, propensity, susceptibility), célzatosság. (various references)

Indonesian

kecondongan (inclination, leaning), kecenderungan (inclination, predisposition, preference), gejala (auspice, phenomenon, symptom). (various references)

Irish

claonadh. (various references)

Italian

tendenza (bent, departure, disposition, drift, liability, market trend, proclivity, propensity, strain, trend, undercurrent). (various references)

Japanese Kanji 

偏向 (deflection, inclination, propensity), 傾向 (inclination, trend). (various references)

Japanese Katakana 

すうせい (trend), すう�"う (current, lofty, Songshan, supreme, trend), テンデンシー , きすう (cardinal number, drift, odd number, trend), きう�" (luck, opportunity, trend), ふうちょう (current, tide), どう�"う (accompanying, attitude, copper ore, movement, pupil, pupillary, same school, similar tastes, travelling together, trend), せいう�" (blue sky, fortune, galaxy, high rank, nebula, prosperity, trend), かたむき (bent, bias, disposition, inclination, list, slope, trend), いきおい (authority, course, energy, force, impetus, influence, life, might, necessarily, power, spirit, vigor), けい�"う (admiration, adoration, aroma, carrying, fame, fluorescence, fragrance, go right ahead, honor, inclination, love of virtue, mouth of a chicken, oral, perfume, reverence, trend), へ�"�"う (alteration, change, deflection, inclination, modification, partiality, polarization, polarized light, propensity). (various references)

Korean 

�"세 (Tendencies). (various references)

Manx

beoyn (aptness, drift, fate, instinct, liability, set, trend). (various references)

Pig Latin

endencytay

Polish

skłonność. (various references)

Portuguese

tendência (aptitude, bent, bias, compliance, current, driving, habit, habitue, inclination, leaning, liability, market trend, proconsul, propensity, stomach, tide, trend, vocation), inclinação (addiction, angle of inclination, appetite, batter, bent, bias, camber, canting, climbdown, declination, declivity, descent, dip, disposal, disposition, downhill, droop, falling rock, fellow feeling, fondness, full dip, grade, gradient, hang, inclination, incline, lean, leaning, leans, like, liking, list, loquacious, motion, partiality, pencil, pitch, plunge, proclivity, propensity, rake, ramp, recession, sag, slant, slope, stomach, strike, taper, tilt, tip, trend, true dip, vocation, will), disposição (accommodation, arrangement, cheer, cue, disposal, disposition, fit, formation, inclination, lay, layout, line up, liveliness, mood, order, predisposition, proviso, stomach, temperament, visual). (various references)

Romanian

tendinţã (aptness, bearing, bent, departure, determination, disposition, drift, drive, endeavor, endeavour, hang, inclination, leaning, proclivity, run, strain, streak, striving, trend), predispoziţie (predisposition, propensity, susceptibility, twist), pornire (beginning, departure, go off, move, outset, starting, take off), efect (act, action, consequence, deed, effect, impact, outcome, purpose, result, working), înclinaţie (addiction, aptness, disposition, grain, hade, inclination, incline, individuality, lean, leaning, mind, notion, partiality, penchant, ply, predisposition, proclivity, propensity, relish, set, squint, taste, turn, twist, vein, vocation). (various references)

Russian 

тенденция (sway, trend). (various references)

Scottish

comhair (before, presence, tendency : fa chomhair an sùl). (various references)

Serbo-Croatian

tendencija (thrust), težnja (aspiration, liking, pursuance, pursuit, urge), sklonost (affinity, bent, bias, calling, fancy, fondness, inclination, leaning, liking, penchant, proclivity, propensity, taste), namera (intension, intent, intention, purpose). (various references)

Spanish

tentación (disposal, enticement, inclination, temptation), tendencia (bias, inclination, market trend, run, shade, tenor, trend). (various references)

Swedish

tendens (disposition, drift, drive, impulse, inclination, movement, run, set, tide, trend), riktning (bearing, course, direction, drive, line, restriking, set, setting, straightening, tack, tapping, tenor, trend), benägenhet (disposition, inclination, liability, preference). (various references)

Thai

แนวโน้ม (aptitude), จุ�"ประสงค์เฉพาะ. (various references)

Turkish

yüz tutma, meyil (affection, aptitude, bias, cant, declivity, gradient, gravitation, inclination, incline, lean, leaning, liking, obliquity, penchant, proclivity, proneness, propensity, slant, slope, talus, tide, tilt, trend), eğilin, eğilim (affection, aptitude, bent, bias, current, device, disposition, drift, gravitation, inclination, leaning, liability, notion, obliquity, penchant, ply, predisposition, proclivity, proneness, propensity, pulse, relish, sense, set, slant, squint, tenor, tide, tilt, trend, turn, twist), çalma (abstraction, blow, defalcation, knock, larceny, pilferage, playing, rendering, rendition, stealing, strike, theft). (various references)

Ukranian 

ідея (apprehension, idea, notion, tendence), тенденція (proclivity, spirit, tendence, trend), тенденційність (tendence). (various references)

Vietnamese 

xu hướng (avocation, bent, calling, proclivity, tide, trend), khuynh hướng (drift, leaning). (various references)

Welsh

tuedd (bent, bias, inclination), asgen (harm). (various references)

conatum, conatus, indoles. (various references)

tendentia. (various references)

Derivations

Words ending with "tendency": countertendency, superintendency. (additional references)

Misspellings

"Tendency" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: pendency, tendancy, tenden, tendenct, tenency. (additional references)

Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits.

Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams

-2 letters: decent, yenned.

-3 letters: needy, teeny, tyned, yente.

-4 letters: cede, cent, cete, deet, dene, dent, deny, dyne, eyed, eyen, eyne, need, nene, teed, teen, tend, tyee, tyne.

-5 letters: cee, dee, den, dey, dye, end, eye, nee, net, ted, tee, ten, tye, yen, yet.

+2 letters: indecently.

+3 letters: connectedly, contentedly.

+4 letters: antecedently, inadvertency.

+5 letters: clandestinely, indeterminacy, transcendency.

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