as in inclinations
a habitual attraction to some activity or thing
a young lad with a predilection for telling tall tales
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Recent Examples of predilections
Peggy isn’t panicked by her son’s alpha-male predilections.
—
Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
But tell that to the phalanx of local and national entities — from community boards to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission — that don't share their predilections.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 18 Jan. 2026
The big unknown, of course, is how long Trump is willing to stay selling the idea, and whether Republicans will bend to his predilections.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 14 Jan. 2026
PlatinumGames share many of the same predilections at Team Ninja (mainly boobs and violence) but carved their own niche as the creators of hyper-kinetic action games like Bayonetta that stretch the boundaries of what the human attention span can manage.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 20 Oct. 2025
Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
But tell that to the phalanx of local and national entities — from community boards to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission — that don't share their predilections.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 18 Jan. 2026
The big unknown, of course, is how long Trump is willing to stay selling the idea, and whether Republicans will bend to his predilections.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 14 Jan. 2026
PlatinumGames share many of the same predilections at Team Ninja (mainly boobs and violence) but carved their own niche as the creators of hyper-kinetic action games like Bayonetta that stretch the boundaries of what the human attention span can manage.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 20 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for predilections
Noun
-
Who knew that such daring would lead to a film that avoids these inclinations entirely, especially one that could have so easily leaned into controversial territory?—
David Opie,
IndieWire,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Samuel Alito’s inclinations have not been hard to discern lately.—
Peter S. Canellos,
The Atlantic,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
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There were no signs the victim had suicidal tendencies, according to police.—
Sofia Saric,
Miami Herald,
9 Apr. 2026
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While Heuermann could hold the key to previously-unknown details surrounding the inner workings of a serial killer’s mind, Burgess cautions the ability to work alongside the FBI could feed into any narcissistic tendencies that are frequently observed in the most heinous criminals.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
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This model reflects Japan’s long-standing corporate culture, which prioritizes new hires for their general potential—their aptitudes and aspirations, as opposed to their current skill sets or university majors—and then trains them on the job.—
GRACIA LIU-FARRER,
Foreign Affairs,
18 Nov. 2025
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More money is apt to make homeschooling worse and far less tailored to the individual student and their interests and aptitudes by encouraging parents to substitute pricey group programs for the requisite effort of individualized instruction.—
Marie Sapirie,
Forbes.com,
25 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Its formal and ontological affinities with dysfunction, fragmentation, and violence would seem to render that debt proverbial to the point of cliché.—
Ara H. Merjian,
ARTnews.com,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Today, costly and time-consuming coachbuilding acts as a mirror for the owner’s personal style and affinities, all the while displaying the status of having formed such a close connection with a brand that you’re invited to commission something singular.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
14 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Predilections.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/predilections. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
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