out of inclination

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "out of inclination" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to express that someone is doing something based on their personal preference or desire rather than obligation. Example: "She chose to volunteer at the shelter out of inclination, wanting to help those in need."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

Drakulić titled her book "They Would Never Hurt a Fly," after Arendt's description of a typical Nazi functionary who "does not regard himself as a murderer because he has not done it out of inclination but in his professional capacity.

The New Yorker

And because she is talking about ordinary Germans who were driven to mass murder, she writes, "He does not regard himself as a murderer because he has not done it out of inclination but in his professional capacity".

The New York Times - Magazine

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

Or as the authors of a recent article in Strategic Studies Quarterly write (quoting another author): "The web of social and political life is spun out of inclinations and incentives, deterrent threats and punishments".

Huffington Post

Afterward, the sensitivity analyses were carried out to show the impact of inclination angle, inner pipe rotation, fluid rheology, and barite content on the rate of settlement.

Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering

Watch out for inclinations to procrastinate.

WikiHow

Figure 6 depicts the original Barbara image blurred by a motion blur of 15 pixels and 45° of inclination, which turns out a PSF mask of 11 × 11 in size (B1 = B2 = 5).

EURASIP Journal on Advances in Signal Processing

Out-of-town gigs like these often feature his jazziest inclinations.

The Guardian

This element can consider out of plane inclination without using any transformation matrices.

Engineering Structures

Leibniz thus makes the insightful suggestion that, though we do everything we do out of an inclination whose satisfaction gives us pleasure, this is perfectly compatible with desiring the perfection of another without any other end in view, which actually occurs whenever the object of our desire is another's perfection or happiness.

SEP

Helping our neighbor is required by duty, but helping our neighbor has no moral worth if done out of an inclination to help others.

BMC Medical Ethics

(And, for the record, I've never met a woman of any age and any level of inclination to have children who doesn't have names picked out).

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "out of inclination" to clearly express that an action is performed based on personal desire or preference, rather than obligation or external pressure. This adds nuance and specificity to your writing.

Common error

Avoid using "out of inclination" when the action is actually performed due to a sense of duty or requirement. The phrase specifically denotes voluntary action based on personal preference.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "out of inclination" functions as a prepositional phrase, modifying a verb or clause to indicate the reason or motivation behind an action. As seen in the Ludwig examples, it clarifies that an action is performed based on personal desire rather than external pressure.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

50%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "out of inclination" signifies that an action stems from personal desire or preference, rather than external obligation. As Ludwig AI highlights, it is grammatically correct and appears most frequently in news and media, and scientific contexts. While "uncommon", it adds precision to writing by specifying the voluntary nature of an action. Remember to distinguish it from similar phrases like "out of obligation" and consider alternative expressions such as "from a desire" or "due to preference" for nuanced communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

from a desire

Expresses the motivation stems from a wish or longing.

due to preference

Highlights that the action is driven by a favored choice.

motivated by interest

Indicates the driving force is a feeling of enthusiasm or concern.

prompted by willingness

Suggests the action arises from a readiness or eagerness.

by personal choice

Emphasizes the action is a result of an individual decision.

on one's own accord

Indicates acting voluntarily and without external influence.

of one's own volition

Highlights the action stems from a free and conscious decision.

driven by enthusiasm

Specifies that the action is energized by intense excitement or passion.

from personal interest

Expresses the motivation comes from individual curiosity or concern.

actuated by inner impulse

Suggests the action arises from an internal drive or instinct.

FAQs

How can I use "out of inclination" in a sentence?

Use "out of inclination" to show that someone is doing something because they want to, not because they have to. For example: "She volunteered "out of inclination", wanting to contribute to the community."

What's the difference between "out of inclination" and "out of obligation"?

"Out of inclination" means doing something because you want to, while "out of obligation" means doing something because you feel you must. They represent opposite motivations.

What can I say instead of "out of inclination"?

You can use alternatives like "from a desire", "due to personal preference", or "motivated by interest" depending on the context. These phrases all convey a similar sense of voluntary action.

Is it formal or informal to use "out of inclination"?

The phrase "out of inclination" is appropriate for both formal and informal contexts. Its usage depends more on the specific sentence structure and the overall tone of your writing.