tendency
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++LDOCE 5++ten·den·cy /ˈtendənsi/ ●●○ S3 W3 noun (plural tendencies) [countable] 1 PROBABLYif someone or something has a tendency to do or become a particular thing, they are likely to do or become it 倾向a tendency to do something Greg’s tendency to be critical made him unpopular with his co-workers. 格雷格爱挑剔的性格使他的同事都不喜欢他。 The drug is effective but has a tendency to cause headaches. 这种药很有效，但可能会引起头疼。tendency to/towards Some people may inherit a tendency to alcoholism. 有些人可能遗传了酗酒倾向。tendency for Researchers believe that the tendency for diabetes is present at birth. 研究人员认为糖尿病倾向出生时就存在。2 IN GENERALa general change or development in a particular direction 趋势，趋向there is a tendency (for somebody) to do something There is an increasing tendency for women to have children later in life. 女性晚育趋势不断上升。tendency to/towards a general tendency towards conservation and recycling 节约和回收利用的普遍趋势tendency among a tendency among Americans to get married at a later age 美国人晚婚的趋势3 aggressive/suicidal/criminal/artistic etc tendencies CHARACTER/PERSONALITYa part of someone’s character that makes them likely to behave in a certain way or become an artist, criminal etc 暴力倾向/自杀倾向/犯罪倾向/艺术气质等 children with aggressive or anti-social tendencies 具有攻击性倾向或反社会倾向的儿童4 PPGa group within a larger political group that supports ideas that are usually more extreme than those of the main group 〔政党内部的〕极端势力 the growing fascist tendency 日益膨胀的法西斯极端势力n GRAMMAR: Singular or plural verb?• In this meaning, tendency is usually followed by a singular verb: The extremist tendency is becoming more powerful.• In British English, you can also use a plural verb: The extremist tendency are becoming more powerful.n COLLOCATIONS – Meanings 1 & 3adjectivesa natural tendency (=one you are born with)His recent experiences had reinforced a strong natural tendency towards caution.an inherent/innate tendency (=one that you are born with, which will not change)When attacked, some people have an inherent tendency to fight back.a strong tendencyThere is a strong tendency to give dying patients far more drugs than are necessary.a marked tendency (=noticeable)There is a marked tendency for Hollywood marriages to end in divorce.aggressive/violent tendenciesSome breeds of dog have aggressive tendencies.suicidal tendenciesThey failed to inform the prison authorities of the man's suicidal tendencies.criminal tendenciesHow should we deal with young people who have criminal tendencies?artistic tendenciesAs he grew up, he displayed artistic tendencies.
Examples from the Corpus
tendency• There is a tendency for illnesses to become more prolonged, less intense and for the recovery to be slower.• The arrow represents a plausible evolutionary tendency of adaptability.• Can you discern an editorial leaning or tendency in the work they accept?• It's then that you realise he keeps his psychotic tendencies hidden, only to be let out onstage.• Her speech is badly slurred, and the tendency is to dismiss her as a drunk or a druggie.• Class Status derives from the tendency of people to accord positive and negative values to human attributes and to distribute respect accordingly.• Second, there is the tendency to hasten all those final writing chores, and this is a mistake.tendency for• A teenager's tendency for acne problems could be genetic.tendency to/towards• The record shows a tendency to make a couple of kinds of particularly costly mistakes.• This was very difficult to do and there was a tendency to place the y-intercept at the origin.• I said I thought there was a tendency to do this.• Her tendency to do so declines, however, as she gets bored with the song.• None had relished Eden's tendency to transmit his own nervousness to colleagues.• His love of stories was connected to this same tendency to see everything in human terms.• There is some tendency to assume that in Washington, too, budget-making is largely an executive function.• There has been a traditional tendency to expect just that.Origin tendency (1600-1700) Medieval Latin tendentia, from Latin tendere; → TENDten·den·cy noun →n GRAMMAR1 →n COLLOCATIONS1LDOCE OnlineChineseSyllable
do if or tendency Corpus to something someone a become has or
tendency
ten‧den‧cy S3 W3 /ˈtendənsi/
noun (plural tendencies) [countable]1. if someone or something has a tendency to do or become a particular thing, they are likely to do or become it
a tendency to do something
Greg’s tendency to be critical made him unpopular with his co-workers.
The drug is effective but has a tendency to cause headaches.
tendency to/towards
Some people may inherit a tendency to alcoholism.
tendency for
Researchers believe that the tendency for diabetes is present at birth.
2. a general change or development in a particular direction
there is a tendency (for somebody) to do something
There is an increasing tendency for women to have children later in life.
tendency to/towards
a general tendency towards conservation and recycling
tendency among
a tendency among Americans to get married at a later age
3. aggressive/suicidal/criminal/artistic etc tendencies a part of someone’s character that makes them likely to behave in a certain way or become an artist, criminal etc:
children with aggressive or anti-social tendencies
4. [also + plural verb British English] a group within a larger political group that supports ideas that are usually more extreme than those of the main group:
the growing fascist tendency
■ adjectives
▪a natural tendency (=one you are born with) His recent experiences had reinforced a strong natural tendency towards caution.
▪an inherent/innate tendency (=one that you are born with, which will not change) When attacked, some people have an inherent tendency to fight back.
▪a strong tendency There is a strong tendency to give dying patients far more drugs than are necessary.
▪a marked tendency (=noticeable) There is a marked tendency for Hollywood marriages to end in divorce.
▪aggressive/violent tendencies Some breeds of dog have aggressive tendencies.
▪suicidal tendencies They failed to inform the prison authorities of the man's suicidal tendencies.
▪criminal tendencies How should we deal with young people who have criminal tendencies?
▪artistic tendencies As he grew up, he displayed artistic tendencies.
ten‧den‧cy S3 W3 /ˈtendənsi/
noun (plural tendencies) [countable]1. if someone or something has a tendency to do or become a particular thing, they are likely to do or become ita tendency to do something
tendency to/towards
tendency for
2. a general change or development in a particular direction
there is a tendency (for somebody) to do something
tendency to/towards
tendency among
3. aggressive/suicidal/criminal/artistic etc tendencies a part of someone’s character that makes them likely to behave in a certain way or become an artist, criminal etc:
4. [also + plural verb British English] a group within a larger political group that supports ideas that are usually more extreme than those of the main group:
| COLLOCATIONS |
| (for Meanings 1 & 3) |
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