an attitude of mind especially one that favors one alternative over others
"he had an inclination to give up too easily"
"a tendency to be too strict"
a characteristic likelihood of or natural disposition toward a certain condition or character or effect
"the alkaline inclination of the local waters"
"fabric with a tendency to shrink"
A likelihood of behaving in a particular way or going in a particular direction; a tending toward.
"The new policy shows a clear tendency to improve employee morale across all departments."
In plain English: A tendency is when someone usually does something because it's their natural habit.
"She has a strong tendency to arrive late when she is tired."
Usage: Use tendency to describe an inclination or habit, such as having a tendency to procrastinate. It often pairs with the preposition "to" followed by either a verb (e.g., tend to run) or a noun phrase indicating direction.
The word comes from Medieval Latin tendentia, derived from the present participle of tendō. It originally meant "a stretching out" or "an inclination."