Tendentious in a Sentence: Meaning & Examples

Tendentious is an adjective meaning expressing a strong, one-sided opinion, especially in writing or argument. To use tendentious in a sentence, place it before the thing it judges: “The report gave a tendentious account of the vote.” It criticises bias in the way a case is made.

Tendentious at a glance

• Tendentious is an adjective; the adverb is tendentiously and the noun is tendentiousness.
• It means one-sided and pushing a particular view rather than neutral.
• It usually judges writing, arguments, accounts and selective statistics.
• Common collocations are a tendentious account, a tendentious reading and tendentious use of figures.
• The commonest error is confusing tendentious with tendency, a noun meaning a habit or leaning.

What does tendentious mean?

Tendentious is an adjective meaning written or argued in a way that favours one side. The Cambridge entry for tendentious records the sense of expressing a strong opinion that shows a clear bias, and the word usually judges a text rather than a person. The plain synonym biased is broader, because a referee can be biased without writing anything; tendentious always points to the way something is presented.

Tendentious is a criticism of method, not a claim that the facts are false. A tendentious argument can rest on accurate numbers yet still mislead by leaving out the rest, and the word is too strong for a merely opinionated remark. In everyday speech biased usually does the work, and tendentious belongs to reviews, editorials and academic writing.

How do you use tendentious in a sentence?

Tendentious is an adjective, so it sits before a noun or after a linking verb. Five patterns cover most sentences.

The word nearly always attaches to a product such as an account, a report or a reading, not to a whole personality. Where the bias is open and aggressive, polemical is closer, because it names a deliberate attack rather than a slanted presentation.

Tendentious in a sentence: examples across contexts

The nine sentences below move from a book review to a classroom, and each one shows what was slanted and why it matters.

The politics sentence is the useful one: the word judges how each side made its case, so it can land on both without contradiction.

Tendentious vs biased

Tendentious and biased both accuse somebody of slant, and the difference is scope. A partisan account is written for a side, and a subjective one simply reflects personal feeling, but biased can describe a person, a decision, a sample or a referee, while tendentious describes the presentation of a case in writing or argument.

Verdict: use tendentious for a slanted piece of writing or reasoning and biased for an unfair person, method or decision.

Word forms and grammar of tendentious

Tendentious inflects by comparison, and its noun is long and easy to misspell. The table lists the real forms and marks the common error.

The noun tendency shares the root but means a habit or leaning, so it never replaces tendentious, and the adjective is always spelled with the -tious ending.

Common mistakes with tendentious

• Incorrect: The report was tendentious about the figures. Correct: The report made tendentious use of the figures. Rule: Tendentious attaches to a presentation, so name what was slanted.
• Incorrect: She is a tendentious person. Correct: Her account was tendentious. Rule: The word judges writing or argument, not character.
• Incorrect: The tendentious of the article was clear. Correct: The tendentiousness of the article was clear. Rule: Tendentious is an adjective; the noun is tendentiousness.
• Incorrect: His tendency article annoyed us. Correct: His tendentious article annoyed us. Rule: Tendency is a noun, and tendentious the adjective.

Practice using tendentious

Work through the six items, then check the reasoning as well as the answer.

1. Fill the gap: The documentary was ______, quoting only the critics of the plan.
2. Choose the better word: The referee was (tendentious / biased) against the home side.
3. Correct the error: The summary was tendentious about the survey results.
4. Build a sentence: use a tendentious reading of about a history textbook.
5. Spot the register: which suits an academic review — a tendentious reading of the sources, or a really unfair spin?
6. Rewrite with the noun: The report was one-sided in a way that misled readers. Use tendentiousness.

Answers

1. tendentious — the adjective describes the one-sided presentation.
2. biased — a referee is a person, so biased is the wider, natural choice.
3. The summary made tendentious use of the survey results — name the slanted presentation instead of using about.
4. Model answer: The textbook offered a tendentious reading of the treaty.
5. A tendentious reading of the sources — an academic review prefers the precise formal term over the colloquial phrase.
6. The report’s tendentiousness misled readers — the noun names the quality of the slant.

The bottom line

Use tendentious in a sentence to criticise a one-sided presentation, and place it before the noun it judges, such as an account, a reading or a use of figures. Two nuances decide most sentences: the word attacks method rather than truth, so accurate facts can still be tendentious, and it is narrower than biased, which covers people and decisions as well as texts. Where the slant is plain, one-sided is the simpler choice.

Frequently asked questions about tendentious

Is tendentious an insult?

It is a criticism but usually a measured one, aimed at how a case is argued rather than at a person’s character. In academic reviews it signals that evidence has been presented selectively. It is stronger than opinionated and weaker than dishonest, so it accuses a writer of slant, not of lying.

What is the difference between tendentious and biased?

Tendentious describes a slanted presentation in writing or argument, so it attaches to accounts and readings. Biased is wider and can describe a person, a sample, a referee or a decision. Every tendentious text shows bias in its presentation, but a biased person need not have written anything tendentious.

What is the noun form of tendentious?

The noun is tendentiousness, meaning the quality of being one-sided. It is long and slightly awkward, so writers often rephrase with bias or slant instead. The shorter noun tendency shares the root but means a habit or leaning, and it cannot replace tendentiousness in a sentence about a slanted argument.

Can a person be tendentious?

Not usually. The word judges products such as an account, a report or a reading, so it describes how something was written rather than what someone is like. To criticise a person, biased or partisan fits better. Saying a person is tendentious sounds like a category error to careful readers.

Do you ever come across an argument that feels biased or one-sided? That’s tendentious writing for you. Tendentious means presenting a one-sided perspective that is often biased or prejudiced, ignoring opposing viewpoints or facts to push a certain agenda. This type of writing is common in political debates, opinion pieces, and propaganda.

By understanding what tendentious writing entails, you can become more discerning in identifying biased content and making informed decisions. Awareness of tendentious writing can help you critically evaluate sources, question underlying motives, and ensure you are presented with a more balanced viewpoint on various issues.

7 Examples Of Tendentious Used In a Sentence For Kids

• The tendentious monkey liked to eat bananas.
• The tendentious elephant was big and grey.
• The tendentious cat had soft fur.
• The tendentious flower was bright and colorful.
• The tendentious bird flew high in the sky.
• The tendentious butterfly had beautiful wings.
• The tendentious fish swam in the water.

14 Sentences with Tendentious Examples

1. Tendentious academic articles can often be biased and sway the reader’s opinion in a particular direction.
2. It is important for college students to critically analyze research papers for any tendentious arguments.
3. The professor warned us to be cautious of sources that may have a tendentious agenda.
4. We should strive to present a balanced argument in our essays, avoiding any tendentious language.
5. It is crucial to distinguish between credible sources and those with a tendentious viewpoint.
6. The debate became heated as each side accused the other of being tendentious in their arguments.
7. Our class discussion on the topic quickly became tendentious as students passionately defended their perspectives.
8. The speaker’s tendentious remarks drew sharp criticism from the audience during the lecture.
9. Some students suspected that the author’s conclusions were influenced by a tendentious approach.
10. The campus newspaper published an article that was deemed tendentious by many students.
11. The research findings were dismissed by the scientific community for being tendentious and lacking objectivity.
12. It is essential to be aware of tendentious information that may be spread on social media platforms.
13. Debates in college often become tendentious when discussing sensitive topics.
14. The student’s presentation was well-received until he started making tendentious claims without proper evidence.

How To Use Tendentious in Sentences?

To use the word “Tendentious” in a sentence, it is important to understand its meaning and how it is typically used in context. Tendentious is an adjective that describes something as biased or having a particular slant towards a specific point of view.

When incorporating “Tendentious” into a sentence, it is crucial to provide sufficient context so that the bias or one-sided nature of the subject matter is clear. For example, you could say, “The article was criticized for its tendentious portrayal of the political candidate, only highlighting negative aspects without acknowledging any positive achievements.”

Another way to use “Tendentious” in a sentence could be in a more general context, such as, “The documentary was deemed tendentious by some viewers, as it seemed to push a specific agenda rather than present a balanced view of the issue.”

Remember to always provide examples or explanations in your sentence that illustrate the biased or skewed perspective being referred to as tendentious. By doing so, you can effectively convey the meaning of the word and help others understand its usage in context.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the sample sentences with the keyword “tendentious” illustrate how biased or prejudiced information can be presented in a way that sways opinions or influences perspectives. It is evident from these examples that tendentious statements push a specific agenda or viewpoint, often at the expense of objectivity and fairness.

By highlighting the tendentious nature of these sentences, it is essential to recognize the importance of critically analyzing information and being mindful of potential biases. Developing the skill to discern tendentious language allows individuals to form well-informed opinions based on facts rather than skewed interpretations. Ultimately, by being aware of tendentious language, we can strive for a more balanced and informed understanding of different issues and topics.