- Main Entry:
- pre·di·lec·tion

- Pronunciation:
-
\ˌpre-də-ˈlek-shən, ˌprē-\
- Function:
- noun
- Etymology:
- French prédilection, from Medieval Latin praediligere to love more, prefer, from Latin prae- + diligere to love — more at diligent
- Date:
- 1742
: an established preference for something
synonyms predilection,
prepossession,
prejudice,
bias mean an attitude of mind that predisposes one to favor something.
predilection implies a strong liking deriving from one's temperament or experience
<a predilection for travel>.
prepossession suggests a fixed conception likely to preclude objective judgment of anything counter to it
<a prepossession against technology>.
prejudice usually implies an unfavorable prepossession and connotes a feeling rooted in suspicion, fear, or intolerance
<a mindless prejudice against the unfamiliar>.
bias implies an unreasoned and unfair distortion of judgment in favor of or against a person or thing
<a strong bias toward the plaintiff>.