A tendency to act or think in a particular way, or a person's natural preference for something. Can also refer to a physical slope or angle.
From Latin 'inclinare' meaning to lean toward, from 'in-' (into) + 'clinare' (to lean). The metaphorical sense of mental tendency developed from the physical sense of leaning toward something.
The beautiful metaphor embedded in 'inclination' suggests our preferences are like gravitational pulls - we naturally 'lean' toward what attracts us. Astronomers use the same word to describe how planets tilt relative to their orbital planes.
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