incline

1 of 2

verb

in·​cline in-ˈklīn How to pronounce incline (audio)
inclined; inclining

intransitive verb

1
: to bend the head or body forward : bow
2
: to lean, tend, or become drawn toward an opinion or course of conduct
3
: to deviate from a line, direction, or course
specifically : to deviate from the vertical or horizontal

transitive verb

1
: to cause to stoop or bow : bend
2
: to have influence on : persuade
his love of books inclined him toward a literary career
3
: to give a bend or slant to
incliner noun

incline

2 of 2

noun

in·​cline ˈin-ˌklīn How to pronounce incline (audio)
: an inclined plane : grade, slope
Choose the Right Synonym for incline

incline, bias, dispose, predispose mean to influence one to have or take an attitude toward something.

incline implies a tendency to favor one of two or more actions or conclusions.

I incline to agree

bias suggests a settled and predictable leaning in one direction and connotes unfair prejudice.

the experience biased him against foreigners

dispose suggests an affecting of one's mood or temper so as to incline one toward something.

her nature disposes her to trust others

predispose implies the operation of a disposing influence well in advance of the opportunity to manifest itself.

does fictional violence predispose them to accept real violence?

Examples of incline in a Sentence

Verb She listened with her eyes closed and her head inclined. The road inclines at an angle of about 12 degrees. His love of books inclined him toward a literary career. Noun We drove up a steep incline to the summit. You can adjust the incline of the ramp.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Reality check: Both the Blackhawks and the Bulls have had terrible seasons, so fed-up fans may not be inclined to support losing teams. Justin Kaufmann, Axios, 24 Feb. 2025 And, in fact, the moon can range even farther to the north and south than the sun because its orbit is inclined 5.1 degrees to the ecliptic. Joe Rao, Space.com, 7 Feb. 2025
Noun
At the immunity challenge, the three tribes had to work together over a long and complicated obstacle course that involved pulling a sled full of puzzle pieces, moving heavy sandbags, pulling the sled up a steep incline and solving a giant puzzle. Emily Deletter, USA TODAY, 6 Mar. 2025 Before this year, viewership had been on a steady incline, rising heftily from the hostless 2021 Oscars, which drew an audience of 10.4 million. Katie Campione, Deadline, 3 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for incline

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Anglo-French incliner, encliner, from Latin inclinare, from in- + clinare to lean — more at lean

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

1798, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of incline was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Incline.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incline. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

incline

1 of 2 verb
in·​cline in-ˈklīn How to pronounce incline (audio)
inclined; inclining
1
: to bend the head or body forward : bow
2
: to be drawn to an opinion or course of action
inclined to go swimming
3
: to turn or move from a line, direction, or course : lean, slope
4
: to cause to bend, bow, or slant
5
: to have influence on : persuade
my teacher's example inclined me to become a teacher too
inclinable
in-ˈklī-nə-bəl
adjective

incline

2 of 2 noun
in·​cline ˈin-ˌklīn How to pronounce incline (audio)

More from Merriam-Webster on incline

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