inclined

Inclined is an adjective and sometimes the past participle of incline. As an adjective, it most commonly means leaning, slanted, or tilted, such as an inclined plane or an inclined roof. It can also describe a disposition toward a course of action or belief, as in being inclined to agree. The word is derived from Latin inclinare "to bend toward," via the Old French incliner and Middle English forms.

In geometry and physics, incline refers to a slope or tilted surface. An inclined plane is a flat surface set at an angle to the horizontal. The incline angle is the angle between the plane and the horizontal, and it determines the gravitational component along the plane. The formula tan(theta) = rise/run relates the incline angle to the vertical rise and horizontal run.

In astronomy and engineering, inclination describes the tilt of an orbit or rotation relative to a reference plane, such as the ecliptic or the planet’s equator. In mathematics and physics, inclination is used to denote the angle between a line or axis and a reference plane, influencing calculations of movement and orientation.

As a noun, "inclination" denotes a tendency or desire; "an inclination" can be a preference or bias. In everyday use, "to incline" means to cause to lean or bend; "to incline toward" means to lean toward or be disposed toward. The term therefore spans physical tilts, geometric angles, and figurative dispositions.