proclivity
noun
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Have you always had this leaning toward wanting to know about words and their etymologies? Maybe you even have a propensity to use the featured word several times in the course of the day—due, of course, not to a proclivity for pretentiousness, but because you simply have a penchant for using a rich vocabulary. And perhaps you have a predilection for using lots of synonyms, such as proclivity (from clivus, the Latin word for "slope"), referring to a tendency usually toward something bad; propensity, suggesting an often uncontrollable inclination; penchant, meaning an irresistible attraction; and predilection, which describes a strong liking derived from one's temperament.
Examples of proclivity in a Sentence
Erwin Chemerinsky, Twin Cities, 6 May 2025
Hawley clearly recognized my proclivities and teased a forthcoming project in Theon’s brainstorming phase: an R model targeting 550 horsepower and further lightweighting to bring the wet weight down below one metric ton.
—Michael Teo Van Runkle, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025
And some of the most aggressive purists didn’t appreciate Moss’s proclivity for posting beauty tutorials on her personal social media channels.
—Mike Isaac, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025
Over the years, Stahl has demonstrated a proclivity to speak out in defense of the program.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for proclivity
Cite this Entry
“Proclivity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/proclivity. Accessed 22 May. 2025.
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proclivity
noun
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