Synonym Chooser

How does the noun predilection contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of predilection are bias, prejudice, and prepossession. While all these words mean "an attitude of mind that predisposes one to favor something," predilection implies a strong liking deriving from one's temperament or experience.

a predilection for travel

When could bias be used to replace predilection?

Although the words bias and predilection have much in common, bias implies an unreasoned and unfair distortion of judgment in favor of or against a person or thing.

a strong bias toward the plaintiff

When is it sensible to use prejudice instead of predilection?

The words prejudice and predilection can be used in similar contexts, but prejudice usually implies an unfavorable prepossession and connotes a feeling rooted in suspicion, fear, or intolerance.

a mindless prejudice against the unfamiliar

When can prepossession be used instead of predilection?

While the synonyms prepossession and predilection are close in meaning, prepossession suggests a fixed conception likely to preclude objective judgment of anything counter to it.

a prepossession against technology

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of predilection His predilection for eating bugs and rodents may have something to do with that. Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 7 Aug. 2025 But with a predilection for risk taking among K-pop generally and BLACKPINK specifically — along with a famously devoted fanbase that celebrates and elevates most anything the group does — the song had finally landed with the right act. Katie Bain, Billboard, 23 July 2025 Equal to Trump’s predilection for tariffs has been his administration’s unwillingness to enforce them. Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 11 July 2025 The trick is to help young people manage such predilections safely. Maia Szalavitz, Scientific American, 7 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for predilection
Recent Examples of Synonyms for predilection
Noun
  • Now the Dark Knight has always had some distinctly authoritarian tendencies baked into his tactics and mythology, as a Christopher Nolan movie or three made pretty clear.
    Dominic Patten, Deadline, 9 Nov. 2025
  • Unfortunately, the songs have a tendency to drift towards a very similar sound, which stands out in the context of a project where everything else is so imaginative.
    Kambole Campbell, IndieWire, 7 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • The inclination to avoid that threshold already impacted Denver’s decision not to sign a rookie contract extension with Peyton Watson last month.
    Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 7 Nov. 2025
  • Lin—whose early career at Zappos and mathematical inclinations molded him into an early backer of companies like Airbnb and DoorDash—has been at Sequoia since 2010.
    Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • This aptitude for song and dance, combined with some friend-of-a-friend magic, was enough to get Taylor an audience with two people who would change her life.
    Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 5 Nov. 2025
  • Mount’s defensive aptitude proved important in keeping United compact throughout, regularly dropping into vacant spaces to slow down any nascent attacks.
    Carl Anka, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Since launching in 2012, Candy Crush Saga has remained one of the most popular games on mobile devices, accruing millions of daily players.
    Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 6 Nov. 2025
  • On the hardware side over 10+ million devices have been built around a recovery phrase by default, entrenching a market expectation in which seed phrases are the go-to recovery method, even as some vendors add alternatives.
    Wyles Daniel, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • This cultural affinity for scent attracted more than 100 niche perfume houses, double the size of 2024’s fair.
    Ritu Upadhyay, Footwear News, 7 Nov. 2025
  • Talley, who by his own efforts pushed himself from his roots in Durham, North Carolina, to New York City and Paris, had a magnetic passion for clothing and an affinity for designers.
    Essence, Essence, 4 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Leslie stars in the movie as Liz, a married mom and soon-to-be empty nester who audits a college poetry class and becomes a point of tension between seniors — and longtime best friends — Sam (Andrew Barth Feldman) and Ari (Cooper Hoffman), who both vie for her affections.
    Erin Clack, PEOPLE, 9 Nov. 2025
  • Most of the show is set in Albuquerque, the showrunner’s artistic home base since Breaking Bad, and his affection for the place shines through.
    Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Predilection.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/predilection. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025.

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