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 The first idea merged his predilection for movement across landscapes with the autobiographical. Alex Vernon may 27, Literary Hub, 27 May 2025 Doing so will prevent innocent youths, who supposedly enroll with no prior political predilections, from being brainwashed into raging leftists. James Unnever, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 May 2025 Yet his predilection for violence, as an uncontrolled impulse or a manipulative tool, was far from in check, according to court papers. Ben Sisario, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025 Putin’s machinations go beyond just playing to Trump’s own predilections. Alexander Gabuev, Foreign Affairs, 26 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for predilection
Recent Examples of Synonyms for predilection
Noun
  • Having been sober for many decades herself, Bev recognizes the narcissism of addiction, the way addicts have a tendency to put themselves at the center of the universe.
    Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2025
  • But beneath the surface, there’s often a fragile sense of self, defended by a deep need for control, an inability to tolerate shame, and a tendency to distort reality in ways that protect their internal world at the expense of those around them.
    Ascend Agency, New York Daily News, 27 June 2025
Noun
  • The inclination of those operating from this skillset is to evaluate the interrelationships and interconnections within and between steps, processes, systems and people.
    Terina Allen, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025
  • Marseille’s artistic inclination is matched by an obsession with food which, typically, is very different from what appears on plates in the rest of France.
    The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 20 June 2025
Noun
  • Connelly frequently downplayed her reputation and aptitude for knowing how to ask for large donations from important individuals.
    Bob Goldsborough, Chicago Tribune, 22 June 2025
  • Those are two promising indicators of his aptitude for spacing the floor for his high-usage teammates.
    Mat Issa, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025
Noun
  • However, instead of removing the minerals from the water, these devices make the minerals soluble in the water.
    Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Mar. 2025
  • However, these incidents underscore the importance of regularly updating your devices to stay protected against evolving threats.
    Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report, Fox News, 14 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Feather said Chewy has a path to dominate the vet clinic market, given its customer affinity, health capabilities and tech capabilities.
    Alex Harring, CNBC, 25 June 2025
  • The first step is having people develop an affinity for the Cleeks.
    Mike Dojc, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025
Noun
  • Just like the character of Noah, however, Cathy’s grandfather didn’t give up, continuing to write her grandmother letters of affection every day.
    Nicole Briese, People.com, 25 June 2025
  • This wasn't my first foray into algorithmic affection.
    Cathy Hackl, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Predilection.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/predilection. Accessed 11 Jul. 2025.

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