C1 If someone has a tendency to do or like something, they will probably do it or like it:
[ + to infinitive ] His tendency to exaggerate is well known.
› If there is a tendency for something to happen, it is likely to happen or it often happens:
There is a tendency for unemployment to rise in the summer.
More examples
- He complained that there was a tendency to equate right-wing politics with self-interest.
- There is a tendency in films to make the equation between violence and excitement.
- Apparently some people have an inborn tendency to develop certain kinds of tumour.
- She's one of those authors who has a tendency to overwrite.
- Our best intentions are sometimes subverted by our natural tendency to selfishness.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
