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
Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025
Julian Fellowes’s Downton-esque fantasia on American themes was always watchable, with its cast of theater heavyweights and a proclivity for treating the mundane as melodrama.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
Other roommates recalled McGrain’s proclivity for curling every sister’s hair, and her love for leading Bible studies and pickleball.
—Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 13 Nov. 2025
Dracula is firmly of a piece with his proclivities, as a filmmaker, to offer social and political critiques issued through character studies.
—Andy Crump, Time, 31 Oct. 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 8 Dec. 2025.
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proclivity
noun
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