Definition of "inclination" in English

noun

1. A physical tilt or bend.

   • The inclination of his head increased and he awoke with a start.

2. A slant or slope.

   • The road up to the house had a steep inclination.

3. A tendency.

   • His inclination to drink escalated to alcoholism.

4. (geometry) The angle of intersection of a reference plane.

   • The astronomer calculated the inclination of the equator or ecliptic of Earth and the orbital planes of each visible heavenly body.
   • Artillery must take account of a weapon's precise inclination.

5. (obsolete) A person or thing loved or admired.

   • c. 1672-1679, William Temple, Memoirs you make will be a Discovery of your Inclinations
   • c. 1771, John Adams, speaking in a trial Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.