- if somebody/something has a particular tendency, they are likely to behave or act in a particular way
- to display artistic tendencies
- tendency to do something I have a tendency to talk too much when I'm nervous.
- This material has a tendency to shrink when washed.
- tendency for somebody/something to do something There is a tendency for this disease to run in families.
- tendency to/towards something She has a strong natural tendency towards caution.
Extra Examples- The new model has an unfortunate tendency to break after a few weeks' use.
- They needed help for self-harm and suicidal tendencies.
- a worrying tendency to blame victims for being assaulted
- our natural human tendency to group all the things we don't like together
- The natural tendency is to try harder when there are problems with a project.
- We have a tendency to blame ourselves when things go wrong.
- The training courses aim to reduce the tendency for young people to leave the industry.
- They have a tendency towards over-optimism.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- clear
- great
- marked
- …
- have
- display
- exhibit
- …
- tendency among
- tendency for
- tendency on the part of
- …
Definitions on the go
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- a new custom that is starting to develop synonym trend
- tendency (for somebody/something) (to do something) There's a growing tendency for women to marry later.
- tendency to/towards something Industry showed a tendency towards increasingly centralized administration.
Extra Examples- There is a growing tendency among employers to hire casual staff.
- There is a tendency for farm sizes to increase.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- clear
- great
- marked
- …
- have
- display
- exhibit
- …
- tendency among
- tendency for
- tendency on the part of
- …
- (British English) a group within a larger political group, whose views are more extreme than those of the rest of the group
- a growing separatist tendency within the Anglo-Irish community
Word Originearly 17th cent.: from medieval Latin tendentia, from tendere ‘to stretch’.
Check pronunciation:
tendency