penchant

noun

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

Did you know?

English has multiple p-words that imply a strong instinct or liking for something, including propensity and proclivity, but to keep things precise, penchant is the proper word for implying a pronounced, persistent taste in a person ("a penchant for pretty pendants") or a predominant predilection for performing particular actions ("a penchant for petting penguins"). Penchant traces back all the way to the Latin verb pendere, meaning "to weigh," but is more immediately preceded in English by the French word penchant, from the present participle of pencher, meaning "to incline."

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Most tourists come to London for the iconic landmarks and museums, but for those with a penchant for the foreboding, the city’s morbid history sets an especially spooky tone. Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 18 Oct. 2025 This is arguably the case with Robinson and his penchant for Stone Island. Steve Salter, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2025 Diane Keaton, the Oscar-winning actress known for a prolific career in uplifting comedies, a quirky sense of fashion, and a penchant for drinking red wine with ice cubes, has died at the age of 79. Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 11 Oct. 2025 But the duo eventually decided to move back to Shanghai to realize their creative vision — building a fantasy of a strong female character with a penchant for saccharine dresses. Denni Hu, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for penchant

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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Cite this Entry

“Penchant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/penchant. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

penchant

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

More from Merriam-Webster on penchant

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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