penchant
noun
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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").
Synonyms
Examples of penchant in a Sentence
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
Melody Chiu, Peoplemag, 19 Apr. 2024
That penchant for dramatizing reality—for taking one set of events or characters and inventing new contexts for them—would eventually lead Kuang to fan fiction (both as a writer and a reader), and, later, adapting books.
—Maya Layne, Vogue, 19 Apr. 2024
Given Swift’s vast catalog – and her penchant for lyrical loquaciousness – there is a lot of room for error.
—USA TODAY, 19 Apr. 2024
And, in many ways, that's true, as she's worked from New York to Philadelphia, rising to prominence via her six-octave vocal range and penchant for mixing high-camp performances with legitimate musical talents on stage.
—Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 16 Apr. 2024
So, too, is her penchant for sticking out her neck.
—Heller McAlpin, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 Apr. 2024
Staley’s penchant for designer items is considerably important.
—Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 8 Apr. 2024
Yet the decision to flee from a traumatic event in which another human being has lost their life is likely rooted more in psychology than a driver’s penchant to kill.
—Ryan Lillis, Sacramento Bee, 29 Mar. 2024
His penchant for everything over-the-top made his style perfect for the locale, but according to The New York Times, Cavalli largely remained only known in Europe and had yet to hit it big worldwide.
—Hedy Phillips, Peoplemag, 12 Apr. 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.
Dictionary Entries Near penchant
Cite this Entry
“Penchant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/penchant. Accessed 28 Apr. 2024.
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penchant
noun
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