trend
Word family
- trendyadjectiveB1
- trendilyadverbB2
- trendinessnounC1
- trendsetternounC1
- trendsettingadjectiveC1
- trendingadjectiveB2
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/1
All four words describe how things change, but they differ in predictability and scope. A trend is an observable direction over time — you can measure it with data (e.g. 'a downward trend in sales'). A tendency is a natural likelihood or inclination, not necessarily backed by data: 'He has a tendency to arrive late.' A pattern involves repetition or cycles: 'The pattern of rainfall repeats each year.' A movement is a looser term for a shift in opinion or social behaviour: 'a movement toward organic farming.' Direction is the simplest — it tells you which way something is going without implying duration or measurement: 'The direction of policy is unclear.' In short: use trend for data-backed changes, tendency for habits and inclinations, pattern for repeated cycles, movement for social shifts, and direction for basic orientation.
Common collocations
Etymology
The word 'trend' comes from the Old English verb 'trendan' meaning 'to turn or revolve.' In Middle English it developed into 'trenden' with the same sense of turning. By the mid-1800s, the noun form had emerged to describe a 'general direction or course' of events. The fashion meaning appeared in the early 1900s, and the social-media verb sense emerged around 2010 with the rise of Twitter's trending topics.