penchant

noun

pen·​chant ˈpen-chənt How to pronounce penchant (audio)
 especially British  ˈpäⁿ-ˌshäⁿ
: a strong and continued inclination
broadly : liking

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What is the Difference Between penchant, leaning, propensity, And proclivity?

Like its synonyms leaning, propensity, and proclivity, penchant implies a strong instinct or liking for something. But these four words, while similar, are also distinguished by subtle differences. Leaning usually suggests a liking or attraction not strong enough to be decisive or uncontrollable ("a student with artistic leanings"), whereas propensity tends to imply a deeply ingrained and usually irresistible inclination ("a propensity to offer advice"). Proclivity frequently suggests a strong, natural proneness to something objectionable or evil ("a proclivity for violence"). Penchant, a descendant of Latin pendere (meaning "to weigh"), typically implies a strongly marked taste in the person ("a penchant for jazz music") or an irresistible attraction in the object ("a penchant for taking risks").

Choose the Right Synonym for penchant

leaning, propensity, proclivity, penchant mean a strong instinct or liking for something.

leaning suggests a liking or attraction not strong enough to be decisive or uncontrollable.

a student with artistic leanings

propensity implies a deeply ingrained and usually irresistible inclination.

a propensity to offer advice

proclivity suggests a strong natural proneness usually to something objectionable or evil.

a proclivity for violence

penchant implies a strongly marked taste in the person or an irresistible attraction in the object.

a penchant for taking risks

Examples of penchant in a Sentence

Aside from the Catholic penchant for fish on Fridays, there is also the tradition of eating red beans and rice on Monday … Tom Piazza, Why New Orleans Matters, 2005
Whether manifested in feminine decor or in an approach to teaching that assumes a female penchant for cooperative, or "connected," learning, stereotypical notions of femininity often infect institutions for women and girls. Wendy Kaminer, Atlantic, April 1998
From both her father and mother she had inherited a penchant for art, literature, philosophy, and music. Already at eighteen she was dreaming of painting, singing, writing poetry, writing books, acting—anything and everything. Theodore Dreiser, The Titan, 1914
a penchant for sitting by the window and staring moodily off into space
Recent Examples on the Web The author is a freelance writer with a penchant for adventure. Cathleen Calkins, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2024 Sinema’s willingness to immerse herself in thorny policy debates competed for attention with a penchant for starring in viral imagery that seemed to depict a woman battling her base. Ronald J. Hansen, The Arizona Republic, 5 Mar. 2024 Nostalgic adults like me and young people with a penchant for retro aesthetics are sure to delight in spotting objects redolent of yesteryear: the Walkmans, fanny packs, TV Guides. Lisa Wong MacAbasco, Vogue, 27 Feb. 2024 Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco's Relationship Timeline Despite Blanco's penchant for embarrassing Gomez, the couple, who was first romantically linked in December 2023, appears to be going strong. Esme Mazzeo, Peoplemag, 25 Feb. 2024 The best quick-fix option at this point seems to be Bowers, who can make life far easier for Rodgers and top target Garrett Wilson with his penchant for turning quick hits into big gains. Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz, USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2024 Daisies and Airedale Terriers have been incorporated into some pieces, too, as an homage to Tyler’s penchant for flowers. Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 21 Feb. 2024 Their recent penchant for slow starts, however, continued. Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Feb. 2024 Its practitioners sought to satisfy our desire for belonging without playing to our penchant for cruelty. Alexander Nazaryan, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'penchant.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

French, from present participle of pencher to incline, from Vulgar Latin *pendicare, from Latin pendere to weigh

First Known Use

1672, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of penchant was in 1672

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Dictionary Entries Near penchant

Cite this Entry

“Penchant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/penchant. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

penchant

noun
pen·​chant ˈpen-chənt How to pronounce penchant (audio)
: a strong liking

More from Merriam-Webster on penchant

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