Inclined

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ɪnˈklaɪnd/

Definitions

1. Slanting or leaning at an angle rather than being vertical ; having a natural tendency or preference toward something
2. Being set at a slope instead of flat or upright ; showing a disposition or likelihood to act in a certain way
3. Positioned with a tilt or gradient ; inclined to favor or be disposed toward a particular idea or action

Etymology: Latin "inclīnāre" meant "to bend toward" or "to lean in," built from "in-" ("toward") and "clīnāre" ("to bend"), the same root that gives English "recline" and "declension." Its literal sense was physical: something bending or sloping in a direction. The Latin verb passed into Old French as "encliner," and Middle English borrowed it as "enclinen," which English later shortened to "incline." The adjective "inclined" is simply the verb "incline" with the ending "-ed," so it describes something already set at an angle, such as a sloping roof or a tilted plane. The figurative sense of leaning toward a choice or opinion grew out of the same physical image: a mind that "bends" toward one view is tilted the way a surface is tilted. Medieval writers used "inclination" in this moral sense as well, describing the natural bent of a person's character.

Synonyms: disposed, tending, leaning, sloping, bent

Antonyms: disinclined, unwilling, flat, level, straight