Basic Details
Word: Inclination
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: A natural wish or tendency to do something or to like something; also a slope or a slant away from the straight.
Synonyms: tendency, liking, leaning, preference
Antonyms: dislike, aversion, reluctance
How to Spell Inclination
Syllables: in - cli - na - tion
Tricky part: The e of incline disappears before ation. The vowel after cl is i, so inclenation is wrong.
Watch out for: inclenation, inclinetion, inclinasion
Memory tip: Start with incline, a slope, drop its e and add ation. If you lean towards something you have an inclination for it, just as a slope leans.
Usage Examples
Example 1: After the long trek I had no inclination to cook, so we ordered dosas.
Example 2: My little sister shows an inclination for drawing animals.
Example 3: The engineers measured the inclination of the ramp before allowing wheelchairs on it.
Fun Fact
The Leaning Tower of Pisa began to tilt while it was still being built in the late 1100s, because the soil under one side was too soft. Its inclination today is about four degrees.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the word opposite in meaning to inclination as used in the sentence:
Rohan has a strong inclination towards music and spends every evening practising the tabla.
a) liking
b) preference
c) aversion
d) tendency
Show answer
c) aversion. An inclination draws you towards something, while an aversion pushes you away from it.
Word Cookie
Insert the correct letters to form a word:
incl_n_t_on
a) i, a, i
b) e, a, i
c) i, e, i
d) i, a, e
Show answer
a) i, a, i. Incline gives the first i, ation supplies the a, and tion brings the last i.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the word in the sentence and choose it:
Her natural ilnaonitinc was to help anyone who looked lost at the railway station.
a) combination
b) indignation
c) inclination
d) incubation
Show answer
c) inclination. Count the n's: there are three, and with the l and c that fits only inclination.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A road with a steep inclination ____.
a) slopes sharply
b) is closed at night
c) has many shops
d) is perfectly flat
Show answer
a) slopes sharply
2. If you feel no inclination to go out, you ____.
a) have lost your way
b) do not want to go out
c) must leave at once
d) are too ill to stand
Show answer
b) do not want to go out
