leaning

C2+ Topic:Word Formation & Derivatives

US /ˈlinɪŋ/ UK /ˈliːnɪŋ/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

noun
a tendency or partiality toward a particular view or thing

Her political leaning had shifted toward the center over the years.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a tendency or partiality... tendency inclination propensity predilection bent penchant partiality

Opposites

aversion disinclination antipathy

Word family

Related forms lean leant leaned

Etymology

From the present participle/gerund of lean (Old English hleonian, hlinian 'to recline, lean'), from Proto-Germanic *hlinēną, from the Proto-Indo-European root *ḱley- ('to lean').

hlinian Old English *ḱley- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Word Formation & Derivatives General Vocabulary

External links

# leaning

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈlinɪŋ/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈliːnɪŋ/

## Meanings
1. a tendency or partiality toward a particular view or thing

## Examples
- Her political leaning had shifted toward the center over the years.

## Synonyms
- tendency
- inclination
- propensity
- predilection
- bent
- penchant
- partiality

## Antonyms
- aversion
- disinclination
- antipathy

## Related Forms
- lean
- leant
- leaned

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: hlinian
- Root: *ḱley-

## Etymology
From the present participle/gerund of lean (Old English hleonian, hlinian 'to recline, lean'), from Proto-Germanic *hlinēną, from the Proto-Indo-European root *ḱley- ('to lean').

## AI Etymology
Leaning comes from the present participle/gerund of lean (Old English hleonian, hlinian 'to recline, lean'), from Proto-Germanic *hlinēną, from the Proto-Indo-European root *ḱley- ('to lean'). The etymological trail includes Old English hlinian, Proto-Indo-European *ḱley-. The same word family includes lean, leant, leaned. Its current noun use means "a tendency or partiality toward a particular view or thing".

## Topics
- Word Formation & Derivatives
- General Vocabulary

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