penchant

noun

pen·​chant ˈpen-chənt 

 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."

Synonyms

• affection
• affinity
• aptitude
• bent
• bias
• bone
• devices
• disposition
• genius
• habitude
• impulse
• inclination
• leaning
• partiality
• predilection
• predisposition
• proclivity
• propensity
• tendency
• turn

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 point is, state lawmakers have a penchant for giving themselves benefits, and this latest case of special treatment doesn’t sit right either. —The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 28 May 2025

McDavid had 79 goals in 183 regular-season and postseason games since then before Sunday, as his penchant for setting up others shone through. —Daniel Nugent-Bowman, New York Times, 26 May 2025

When The Last of Us premiered back in 2023, there was massive chatter surrounding Pascal and his penchant for rescuing desolate children in TV shows. —Stephanie Sengwe, People.com, 25 May 2025

Known for her first Netflix hit, the limited series Maid, the showrunner and creator has a penchant for telling stories with strong female leads and complicated familial ties; Maid was very motherhood-focused, and Sirens centers around the sister bond. —Dana Feldman, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025

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

Rhymes for penchant

• trenchant

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Kids Definition

penchant

noun

pen·​chant ˈpen-chənt 

: a strong liking