In'cli-nā'tion, n.
n. [Fr. inclination, Pr. inclinatio, enclinacio, Sp. inclinacion, It. inclinazione, Lat. inclinatio.]
Sense 1. The act of inclining; a leaning; any deviation of a body or line from an upright position, or from a parallel line, toward another body; as, the inclination of the head in bowing.
Sense 2. (Geom.) The angle made by two lines or planes, which meet, or which would meet, if produced; as, the inclination of the plane of the earth’s equator to that of the ecliptic is about 23° 28'.
Sense 3. A leaning of the mind, feelings, preferences, or will; propension or propensity; a disposition more favorable to one thing than to another.
A mere inclination to a thing is not properly a willing of that thing. South.
How dost thou find the inclination of the people? Shak.
Sense 4. Love; affection; regard; desire. Beattie.
Inclination of an orbit (Astron.), the angle which the orbit makes with the ecliptic. — Inclination or dip of the magnetic needle, the angle which a magnetic needle, free to move in the plane of the magnetic meridian, makes with the plane of the horizon.
Synonyms— Bent; disposition; tendency; proneness; bias; propensity; prepossession; predilection; attachment; desire; affection; love. See DISPOSITION and BENT.