predilection

noun pre·di·lec·tion \ ˌpre-də-ˈlek-shən , ˌprē- \

|Updated on: 17 Jun 2018

Tip: Synonym Guide

Examples: predilection in a Sentence

Editor's Note: predilection Has a Versatile Latin Root

Definition of predilection

: an established preference for something

See predilection defined for English-language learners

See predilection defined for kids

predilection was our Word of the Day on 08/14/2010. Hear the podcast!

Examples of predilection in a Sentence

It's true that black audiences have always had a predilection for talking back at performances. But more than that is going on in this theatre: the intensity of engagement is palpable. —Henry Louis Gates, Jr., New Yorker, 3 Feb. 1997
The predilection of certain upper-class Englishmen toward eccentricity and playacting lent itself well to this endeavor. —Robert D. Kaplan, The Arabists, 1993
Even seated in the witness chair, he did not remove the light-colored, belted raincoat that, in common with knee-high boots, is a predilection of the Nazi-minded and that, in his case, was nearly identical to the raincoat Hitler habitually wore. —Kay Boyle, "Preface from the Smoking …," 1950, in Words that Must Somehow be Said: Selected Essays of Kay Boyle 1927–1984, 1985
a young lad with a predilection for telling tall tales

Recent Examples of predilection from the Web

Mark plays their nine-year-old son who had a predilection to dress in girl’s clothes.

— tyler mccarthy, Fox News, "'Roseanne' star responds to Lena Dunham's pitch for a spinoff: 'I'm in'," 31 May 2018
Anyone who had followed her account across her tenure on Twitter was already well aware of her predilection for bonkers conspiracy theories, outright racist slags, and countless other acts of seemingly semi-intentional trolling.

— michael andor brodeur, BostonGlobe.com, "The wolverine and the birthday: a Roseanne Barr parable," 31 May 2018
The group’s predilection for warm baths was first reported in the winter of 1963, when a juvenile female snow monkey was seen soaking in an outdoor hot spring that belonged to a hotel near Jigokudani.

— brigit katz, Smithsonian, "Chilling Out in Hot Springs May Help Japan’s Snow Monkeys Reduce Stress," 5 Apr. 2018
And in what was perhaps the most lavish illustration of this predilection, McGrath anointed seven models at Prada with dramatic multihued swoops, further decorated with Swarovski-crystal studs, turning their orbs into dazzling winged victories.

— lynn yaeger, Vogue, "Why Shocking Neon Makeup Should Be Your Summer Beauty Strategy," 31 May 2018
For, looking at plucky little Ruby Bridges, one is very likely to think of the current secretary of education and her continuing predilection for charter schools.

— wayne lawson, Vanities, "Norman Rockwell’s Hokey America Is Looking Pretty Good Right Now," 30 May 2018
Categorized by owners Brian Holleran and Brian Moss as New York-style pizza, Il Rione took the best of the boroughs, throwing in a little New Jersey for regional diversity, then synthesized the results with their own personal pizza predilections.

— beth segal, cleveland.com, "Il Rione Pizzeria: A passion for pizza in Gordon Square," 11 May 2018
Another way to gain insight into the predilections of the royal family is by examining the brands that hold the royal warrant — the top-of-the-line British purveyors that have earned the royal family’s seal of approval.

— amy tara koch, New York Times, "A Road Map to Shopping Like a Royal in London," 9 May 2018
But spiders do not show any predilection for human flesh, preferring the taste of insects and another small beastie called collembola, or springtail.

— steve mirsky, Scientific American, "If You Don't Like Insects, You Should Love Spiders," 1 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'predilection.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

predilection Has a Versatile Latin Root

Do you have a predilection for words whose histories conjure up colorful images of Wild West heroes, medieval knaves, Arabian princes, and intemperate gods, or are words with straightforward Latin roots more your style? If you favor the latter, you'll love "predilection." It's based on the Latin verb legere, which means "to gather" or "to read." That versatile root is also the source of many other familiar English words, including "collect," "lesson," "sacrilege," and "legume."

Origin and Etymology of predilection

French prédilection, from Medieval Latin praediligere to love more, prefer, from Latin prae- + diligere to love — more at diligent

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1742

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

predilection Synonyms

Synonyms

affection, affinity, aptitude, bent, bias, bone, devices, disposition, genius, habitude, impulse, inclination, leaning, partiality, penchant, predisposition, proclivity, propensity, tendency, turn;

Near Antonyms

allergy, averseness, aversion, disfavor, disinclination, dislike, disliking, disrelish, distaste;

detachment, impartiality, neutrality, objectivity;

apathy, disinterestedness, indifference, insouciance, nonchalance, unconcern;

endowment, faculty, flair, genius, gift, knack, talent;

addiction, appetite, fancy, fondness, like, liking, preference, taste;

forte, speciality, specialty;

convention, custom, habit, pattern, practice (also practise), routine, trick, way, wont;

eccentricity, idiosyncrasy, kink, oddity, peculiarity, quirk, singularity;

Synonym Discussion of predilection

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.