tendency

Plural: tende ncies, tendencies

Noun

• An inclination or predisposition to act in a certain way.
• an attitude of mind especially one that favors one alternative over others
  • "a tendency to be too strict"
• an inclination to do something
• a characteristic likelihood of or natural disposition toward a certain condition or character or effect
  • "fabric with a tendency to shrink"
• a general direction in which something tends to move
  • "the shoreward tendency of the current"
• A likelihood of behaving in a particular way or going in a particular direction; a tending toward.
• An organised unit or faction within a larger political organisation.

Examples

• Denim has a tendency to fade.
• He had a TENDENCY to hoard high-value letters, sometimes to his detriment.
• I have a tendency to get bored after the first half an hour of a movie.
• There's a common tendency among first-game visitors to a casino to bet overcautiously.

Synonyms

disposition, inclination, leaning, propensity, trend, penchant