Meanings
nouninflection (countable and uncountable, plural inflections)
plural inflections · alternative dated inflexion
- uncountablegrammarThe linguistic phenomenon of morphological variation, whereby words take a number of distinct forms in order to express different grammatical features.
In English, word order often does the work that inflection did in Latin.
- countablegrammarAny specific type of morphological variation, which applies to a given word class.
The second-person imperative is a verbal inflection found in many Indo-European languages.
- countablegrammarAn affix representing a given variation.
English's regular inflection for number in plural nouns is the suffix -s.
- countablegrammarAny specific morphological form of a particular word, such as the principal parts for any given stem; any of the declined or conjugated forms that constitute its declension or conjugation.
Recite every inflection for each of these words.
- countableuncountableA turning away from a straight course.
inflection from the rules
- countableuncountableDiffraction.
Synonyms & antonyms
nouna change in the form of a word (usually by adding a suffix) to indicate a change in its grammatical function
Similar
Broader
grammatical relation
nounthe patterns of stress and intonation in a language
Similar
noundeviation from a straight or normal course
Broader
nouna manner of speaking in which the loudness or pitch or tone of the voice is modified
Similar
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latininflexiōnem“alteration”
- Middle Frenchinflexion
- Englishinflection
From older inflexion, borrowed from Middle French inflexion, itself borrowed from Latin inflexiōnem (“alteration”, literally “bending”). The English spelling with ⟨ct⟩ is due to influence from inflect or related words like correction.
More words from Middle French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek κλίσις, κίνημα
- κλίσις (klísis)variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features
- κίνημα (kínēma)variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features
- κίνησις (kínēsis)variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features
Bulgarian модулация, отклонение
- модулация (modulacija)change in pitch or tone of voice
- отклонение (otklonenie)turning away from a straight course
- склоне́ние (sklonénie)variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features
Catalan inflexió, flexió
- inflexióchange in pitch or tone of voice
- flexióvariation in the word form reflecting grammatical features
Chinese Mandarin 詞形變化 /词形变化, 曲折變化 /曲折变化
- 詞形變化 /词形变化 (cí xíng biànhuà)variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features
- 曲折變化 /曲折变化variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features
Czech flexe, ohýbání
- flexevariation in the word form reflecting grammatical features
- ohýbánívariation in the word form reflecting grammatical features
Danish modulation, afvigelse
- modulationchange in pitch or tone of voice
- afvigelseturning away from a straight course
Dutch bocht, flexie
- bochtturning away from a straight course
- flexievariation in the word form reflecting grammatical features
Esperanto fleksio
- fleksiovariation in the word form reflecting grammatical features
Finnish äänenkorkeuden muutos, äänensävyn muutos
- äänenkorkeuden muutoschange in pitch or tone of voice
- äänensävyn muutoschange in pitch or tone of voice
- inflektiochange in pitch or tone of voice
- käännechange in curvature from concave to convex or from convex to concave
- suunnanmuutosturning away from a straight course
- taivutusvariation in the word form reflecting grammatical features
French inflexion, flexion
- inflexionturning away from a straight course
- flexionvariation in the word form reflecting grammatical features
German Betonung, Flexion
- Betonungchange in pitch or tone of voice
- Flexionvariation in the word form reflecting grammatical features
- Beugungvariation in the word form reflecting grammatical features
- Biegungvariation in the word form reflecting grammatical features
Greek κάμψη, λύγισμα
- κάμψη (kámpsi)change in curvature from concave to convex or from convex to concave
- λύγισμα (lýgisma)change in curvature from concave to convex or from convex to concave
- κλίση (klísi)variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features
Hindi विभक्ति
- विभक्ति (vibhakti)variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features
Hungarian inflexió, rag
- inflexióchange in curvature from concave to convex or from convex to concave
- ragvariation in the word form reflecting grammatical features
- ragozásvariation in the word form reflecting grammatical features
Icelandic raddblær, beyging
- raddblærchange in pitch or tone of voice
- beygingvariation in the word form reflecting grammatical features
Indonesian infleksi
- infleksivariation in the word form reflecting grammatical features
Italian inflessione, cadenza
- inflessionechange in pitch or tone of voice
- cadenzachange in pitch or tone of voice
- calatachange in pitch or tone of voice
- modulazionechange in pitch or tone of voice
- intonazionechange in pitch or tone of voice
- inflessionechange in curvature from concave to convex or from convex to concave
- desinenzavariation in the word form reflecting grammatical features
- flessionevariation in the word form reflecting grammatical features
Japanese 語形変化
- 語形変化 (gokei henka)variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features
Korean 굴절, 어형변화
- 굴절 (guljeol)variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features
- 어형변화 (eohyeongbyeonhwa)variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features
Latin flexio, flexura
- flexiovariation in the word form reflecting grammatical features
- flexuravariation in the word form reflecting grammatical features
Latvian locīšana
- locīšanavariation in the word form reflecting grammatical features
Norwegian Bokmål bøyning, bøying
- bøyningvariation in the word form reflecting grammatical features
- bøyingvariation in the word form reflecting grammatical features
Persian تصریف
- تصریف (tasrif)variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features
Polish modulacja, przegięcie
- modulacjachange in pitch or tone of voice
- przegięciechange in curvature from concave to convex or from convex to concave
- zmiana kierunkuturning away from a straight course
- odmianavariation in the word form reflecting grammatical features
- fleksjavariation in the word form reflecting grammatical features
Portuguese inflexão, entonação
- inflexãochange in pitch or tone of voice
- entonaçãochange in pitch or tone of voice
- inflexãochange in curvature from concave to convex or from convex to concave
- inflexãoturning away from a straight course
- desvioturning away from a straight course
- flexãovariation in the word form reflecting grammatical features
Romanian inflexiune, inflexiune
- inflexiunechange in pitch or tone of voice
- inflexiunechange in curvature from concave to convex or from convex to concave
- flexiunevariation in the word form reflecting grammatical features
Russian модуля́ция, переги́б
- модуля́ция (moduljácija)change in pitch or tone of voice
- переги́б (peregíb)change in curvature from concave to convex or from convex to concave
- сгиба́ние (sgibánije)change in curvature from concave to convex or from convex to concave
- фле́ксия (fléksija)change in curvature from concave to convex or from convex to concave
- отклоне́ние (otklonénije)turning away from a straight course
- фле́ксия (fléksija)variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features
- оконча́ние (okončánije)variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features
- словоизмене́ние (slovoizmenénije)variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features
- измене́ние фо́рмы сло́ва (izmenénije fórmy slóva)variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features
Slovak ohýbanie
- ohýbanievariation in the word form reflecting grammatical features
Spanish inflexión, inflexión
- inflexiónchange in pitch or tone of voice
- inflexiónturning away from a straight course
- flexiónvariation in the word form reflecting grammatical features
Swedish inflexionspunkt, böjning
- inflexionspunktchange in curvature from concave to convex or from convex to concave
- böjningvariation in the word form reflecting grammatical features
Tagalog sabaylo
- sabaylovariation in the word form reflecting grammatical features
Ukrainian модуляція, зміна інтонації
- модуляція (moduljacija)change in pitch or tone of voice
- зміна інтонації (zmina intonaciji)change in pitch or tone of voice
- перегин (perehyn)change in curvature from concave to convex or from convex to concave
- словозмі́на (slovozmína)variation in the word form reflecting grammatical features
Welsh ffurfdro, ffurfdroad
- ffurfdrovariation in the word form reflecting grammatical features
- ffurfdroadvariation in the word form reflecting grammatical features
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with inflection
sectioncollectionprotectionselectionconnectionelectiondirectioninspectiondetectioninfectioncorrectionprojectioninjectionreflectionrejectionperfectionobjectionresurrectionerectionaffectionconvectiondissectionrecollectioncomplexion
All rhymes →Cite this entry
APA
inflection. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/inflection
MLA
“inflection.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/inflection. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “inflection,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/inflection.
Source: inflection on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.