ten·den·cy 
/ˈtɛndənsi/ noun
plural ten·den·cies /ˈtɛndənsi/ noun [count] 1 : a quality that makes something likely to happen or that makes someone likely to think or behave in a particular way
▪ The door has a tendency to get stuck. [=the door often gets stuck] ▪ She has a tendency to overreact. = She has a tendency toward/towards overreacting. [=she tends to overreact; she often overreacts] ▪ She displayed criminal tendencies [=she behaved in ways that suggested she was going to become a criminal] even when she was very young. 2 : a way of behaving, proceeding, etc., that is developing and becoming more common
▪ There is a growing tendency among young people to continue living with their parents after college. [=more and more young people are continuing to live with their parents after college] ▪ The economy has shown a general tendency toward inflation.
▪ The door has a tendency to get stuck. [=the door often gets stuck] ▪ She has a tendency to overreact. = She has a tendency toward/towards overreacting. [=she tends to overreact; she often overreacts] ▪ She displayed criminal tendencies [=she behaved in ways that suggested she was going to become a criminal] even when she was very young.
▪ There is a growing tendency among young people to continue living with their parents after college. [=more and more young people are continuing to live with their parents after college] ▪ The economy has shown a general tendency toward inflation.
