First Known Use: 14th century
Dictionary
1incline
verb in·cline \in-ˈklīn\
: to bend forward or to cause (something) to bend forward
: to lean or slope
: to cause (someone) to want to do something or to be likely to do something
in·clinedin·clin·ing
Full Definition of INCLINE
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
— in·clin·er noun
See incline defined for English-language learners
See incline defined for kids
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Origin of INCLINE
Middle English, from Anglo-French incliner, encliner, from Latin inclinare, from in- + clinare to lean — more at lean
Synonym Discussion of 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?>.
Rhymes with INCLINE
A-line, affine, airline, align, alkyne, alpine, assign, at sign, balkline, baseline, beeline, benign, bloodline, blue line, blush wine, bovine, bowline, branchline, breadline, bright-line, buntline, bustline, byline, call sign, canine, caprine, carbine, carmine, cervine, chow line, clothesline, cloud nine, coastline, combine, compline, condign, confine, consign, corvine, cosign, cutline, dateline, deadline, decline, define, design, divine, dragline, driveline, earthshine, Einstein, eiswein, end line, enshrine, entwine, equine, ethyne, fall line, fault line, feline, ferine, first-line, flatline, flight line, foul line, fräulein, frontline, front line, goal line, gold mine, grapevine, guideline, hairline, hard-line, hard pine, headline, hemline, high sign, hipline, Holbein, hotline, ice wine, indign, in fine, in-line, Irvine, jawline, jug wine, landline, land mine, lang syne, lifeline, load line, longline, lupine, mainline, main line, malign, midline, moline, moonshine, neckline, off-line, old-line, online, opine, outline, outshine, ovine, Pauline, peace sign, Petrine, pipeline, piscine, pitch pine, plotline, plumb line, plus sign, pontine, porcine, potline, pound sign, propine, punch line, rapine, recline, redline, red pine, refine, reline, repine, resign, Rhine wine, ridgeline, roofline, Sabine, saline, Scotch pine, scrub pine, setline, shoreline, short line, sideline, sight line, skyline, snow line, soft-line, spring line, straight-line, strandline, straw wine, streamline, strip mine, strychnine, subline, sunshine, supine, syncline, taurine, tie-line, times sign, topline, touchline, towline, tramline, trapline, tree line, trephine, trotline, truckline, trunk line, tumpline, turbine, untwine, ursine, vespine, V sign, vulpine, waistline, white line, white pine, white wine, woodbine, yard line, zebrine, Z line
2incline
noun in·cline \ˈin-ˌklīn\
: a slanting surface
Full Definition of INCLINE
See incline defined for English-language learners
First Known Use of INCLINE
1846
INCLINE[1] Defined for Kids
1incline
verb in·cline \in-ˈklīn\
in·clinedin·clin·ing
Definition of INCLINE for Kids
1
: to cause to bend or lean <She inclined her head.>
2incline
noun in·cline \ˈin-ˌklīn\
Definition of INCLINE for Kids
: 1slope 2 <a steep incline>
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