Tendentious
/tɛnˈdɛn.ʃəs/noun
Expressing or promoting a particular bias or point of view, especially in a way that is intended to persuade.
Did you know?Tendentious comes from the same Latin root as *tend*, meaning to stretch or stretch toward something, so the word literally carries the idea of a mind already pulled in a direction before the argument even starts.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
tendere
“to stretch, extend, or strain”
Late Latin
Late Latin
tendentia
“a stretching toward; inclination”
French
French
tendancieux
“biased, having a tendency”
19th Century
English
tendentious
“biased or partisan in a way that pushes a viewpoint”