Synonym Chooser

How does the noun propensity contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of propensity are leaning, penchant, and proclivity. While all these words mean "a strong instinct or liking for something," propensity implies a deeply ingrained and usually irresistible inclination.

a propensity to offer advice

When is it sensible to use leaning instead of propensity?

The meanings of leaning and propensity largely overlap; however, leaning suggests a liking or attraction not strong enough to be decisive or uncontrollable.

a student with artistic leanings

When can penchant be used instead of propensity?

The words penchant and propensity are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, penchant implies a strongly marked taste in the person or an irresistible attraction in the object.

a penchant for taking risks

When could proclivity be used to replace propensity?

The synonyms proclivity and propensity are sometimes interchangeable, but proclivity suggests a strong natural proneness usually to something objectionable or evil.

a proclivity for violence

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 propensity Analyzing the data from the past five years, P&G’s stock has consistently demonstrated a strong propensity for positive one-day returns following earnings announcements, occurring in 70% of cases. Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 28 July 2025 Their two chief baseball executives share a propensity for action. Andy McCullough, New York Times, 28 July 2025 So this film features the character’s son Slim Peterson (Lavell Crawford), who, like his father, sports a prosthetic hand that has the inconvenient propensity for falling off. Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 25 July 2025 Insights stay trapped in departmental silos: Even when AI generates brilliant insights within one department—say, marketing identifies a customer propensity model—those insights often can't flow to sales or service teams. Forbes.com, 15 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for propensity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for propensity
Noun
  • Birds love the honeysuckle and porcelain vine fruits and have the infuriating tendency to pass them through their system undamaged, and then deposit them in your garden, in tremendous numbers, encased in a nice little fertilizer packet.
    Paul Cappiello, The Courier-Journal, 15 Aug. 2025
  • Golubic chalked that up to our natural preference for round numbers, a tendency that’s backed by research.
    Julia Ries Wexler, Health, 14 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Martone’s positive inclination is also backed by the quality and attention to detail ICR offers, aspects that not only enabled the company to be the first cosmetics firm in Italy to be certified for its quality in 1996, but are embedded in his family roots.
    Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 5 Aug. 2025
  • Diamandis told me that our hardwired inclinations toward selfishness did trouble him sometimes, in the middle of the night.
    Tad Friend, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • In PCMark 10 Overall Storage, which measures a drive's aptitude in performing a series of everyday storage tasks, the T710 lags the T705 and most of the other Gen 5 drives.
    PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 6 Aug. 2025
  • Bond and bassist Zac Cockrell held down the low end with workmanlike aptitude, leaving plenty of room for bluesy fills, fuzz-distortion accents and pregnant pauses to enter undetected.
    Bob Gendron, Chicago Tribune, 16 July 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
  • Animal lovers with a special affinity for hoofed creatures can venture south of town into the Little Book Cliffs.
    Shauna Farnell, Denver Post, 15 Aug. 2025
  • Memorable experiences build brand affinity, and that influence extends long after the event ends.
    Shirin Ali, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Propensity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/propensity. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.

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