Lewis & Short

inclīnātĭo, ōnis, f. [inclino], a leaning, bending, inclining to one side (class., esp. in the trop. signif.).

  1. I. Lit.
    1. A. In gen.: (corporis) ingressus, cursus, accubitio, inclinatio, sessio, etc., Cic. N. D. 1, 34, 94: corporis, Quint. 1, 11, 16: fortis ac virilis laterum, id. ib. 18: incumbentis in mulierculam, id. 11, 3, 90: alternā egerunt scobem, Plin. 16, 43, 83, § 227: merso navigio inclinatione lateris unius, id. 8, 51, 77, § 208.
      In plur.: variis trepidantium inclinationibus, Tac. H. 2, 35; Plin. 37, 10, 58, § 160.
    2. B. In partic.: caeli, a transl. of the Gr. κλίμα, the inclination or slope of the earth from the equator to the pole, a parallel of latitude, clime, Vitr. 1, 1; Gell. 14, 1, 8; for which, mundi, Vitr. 6, 1.
  2. II. Trop., an inclination, tendency.
    1. A. In gen.: ad meliorem spem, Cic. Sest. 31, 67: crudelitas est inclinatio animi ad asperiora, Sen. Clem. 2, 4 med.: alii (loci communes) ad totius causae inclinationem (faciunt), Quint. 5, 13, 57.
    2. B. In partic., inclination, bias, favor: voluntatis, Cic. de Or. 2, 29, 129; cf. voluntatum, id. Mur. 26, 53: judicum ad aliquem, Quint. 6, 1, 20: principum inclinatio in hos, offensio in illos, Tac. A. 4, 20: utendum ea inclinatione Caesar ratus, id. ib. 1, 28: senatus, id. ib. 2, 38: animorum, Liv. 44, 31, 1: in aliquem, Tac. H. 2, 92
    3. C. Transf.
      1. 1. (Qs., a leaning or bending out of its former position; hence.) An alteration, change: communium temporum, Cic. Balb. 26, 58: an ignoratis, populi Romani vectigalia perlevi saepe momento fortunae inclinatione temporis pendere? id. Agr. 2, 29, 80; cf. id. Phil. 5, 10, 26: hoc amplius Theophrastus (scripsit), quae essent in re publica rerum inclinationes et momenta temporum, id. Fin. 5, 4, 11: inclinationes temporum atque momenta, id. Fam. 6, 10, 5; cf. id. Planc. 39, 94.
      2. 2. Rhet. t. t.: vocis, the play of the voice, its elevation and depression in impassioned speech, Cic. Brut. 43, 158; plur., Quint. 11, 3, 168.
      3. 3. In the old gram. lang., the formation or derivation of a word, Varr. L. L. 9, § 1 Müll.