English → Latin
“inclination” in Latin
inclīnātiōact of leaning; tendency, inclination; mathematics slope, inclinationfastīgiumpeak, summit, top; extreme part, extremity of a thing; slope, declivity, descentprōclīvitāssteep descent; tendency, proneness, disposition, propensitydēclīvitāsa declivity; slope or descentacclīvitāsslope, ascent; steepnessvoluntāswill, free will, choice; desire, inclination; disposition towards (something or someone)
The English word inclination itself goes back to Latin clīnō, through inclīnātiō.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
inclination
(1) (1) As an action, an inclining, inclinatio. An inclination of the head, inclinatio capitis. (2) As a state.
(A) (A) PROPR., direction downward, fastigium (slope, descent): proclivitas: declivitas: acclivitas (steepness; the two first considered from above, the last from below): ☞ inclinatio is nowhere used in this signification): the inclination of the magnetic needle, *fastigium acūs nauticae.
(B) (B) figuratively. A propension toward an object, inclinatio animi or voluntatis: to anything, ad aliquid (the inclination of the mind or will to anything. ☞ In classical prose never without the addition animi or voluntatis): proclivitas ad aliquid (censurable propensity to anything): studium; to anything or person, alicujus rei or alicujus (liking which impels one to pursue an object, or show favor to a person): voluntas ingenii (the direction of the mind to a particular object): propensa in aliquem voluntas: propensum in aliquem studium (a favorable disposition toward anybody): amor (love), toward anybody, in or erga aliquem (☞ in this sense affectio, which in the golden period is only = a state or condition of mind, is quite unclassical): inclination to sensuality, libido, libidines: inclination to anger, iracundia: ad iram proclivitas: from inclination, (suā) voluntate (opposed to vi coactus); de suā voluntate (e.g., from favorable inclination to anybody); studio (e.g., accusare); propenso animo (e.g., aliquid facere); ex animo (with desire and affection): to have an inclination to anything, inclinatum, proclivem, pronum esse ad aliquid [Vid: INCLINED]; alicui rei studere; alicujus rei esse studiosum; alicujus rei studio teneri: to feel a strong inclination toward anything, studio alicujus rei ardere or incensum esse: to feel no inclination to anything, ab aliqua re alienum esse, or (with the secondary idea of aversion) abhorrere; Vid: “to be INCLINED to anybody”: to follow one’s inclinations, animi impetum sequi (to yield to one’s desires and passions): studiis suis obsequi (to that to which one’s own impulse draws him).
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for inclination?
- The usual Latin words for “inclination” are inclīnātiō, fastīgium, prōclīvitās; also dēclīvitās, acclīvitās, voluntās. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.