/,ɪŋklɪ'neɪʃn; ,ɪnklə`neʃən/
n
1 [C, U] ~ (to/for/towards sth); ~ (to do sth) feeling that makes sb want to behave in a particular way; disposition 倾向; 意向; 意愿
*I have little inclination to listen to you all evening. 我可不愿意一晚上都听你说话.
* She is not free to follow her own inclination in the matter of marriage. 她的婚姻不能自主.
2 [C] ~ to sth; ~ to be/do sth event that regularly happens; tendency 经常发生的事; 趋向; 趋势
*He has an inclination to stoutness/to be fat. 他有发福[发胖]的趋势.
* The car has an inclination to stall on cold mornings. 这辆汽车天冷时早晨常常熄火.
3 (a) [U] degree of sloping; slant 倾斜度; 坡度; 倾斜.
(b) [C] sloping surface; slope 坡面; 斜面; 斜坡
*a small inclination just beyond the trees 就在树丛那边的一片小坡地.
4 [C usu sing 通常作单数] bending or bowing movement 弯曲的动作; 弯腰
*an inclination of his head 他点了点头.

n
[U and C]
a feeling that makes you want to do something
　My natural inclination was to say no.
inclination to do sth
　Neither of my children showed the slightest inclination to follow me into journalism.
　Teachers simply do not have the time or the inclination to investigate these matters.
[U and C]
a tendency to think or behave in a particular way
inclination to do sth
　an inclination to see everything in political terms
inclination to/towards
　She's troubled by her son's inclination toward atheism.
by inclination
　Bart was a romantic by inclination.
[C]
a movement made down towards the ground
　She greeted Maggie with an inclination of the head.
[U and C]formal
a slope or the angle at which something slopes