Word of the Day

: May 19, 2008

propensity

noun pruh-PENN-suh-tee

What It Means

: an often intense natural inclination or preference

propensity in Context

"My brother has a propensity for exaggeration," said Daniella, "so you should probably take his claims with a grain of salt."

Did You Know?

When it comes to synonyms of "propensity," the letter "p" predominates. "Proclivity," "preference," "penchant," and "predilection" all share with "propensity" the essential meaning "a strong instinct or liking." Not every word that is similar in meaning to "propensity" begins with "p," however. "Propensity" comes from Latin "propensus," the past participle of "propendēre," a verb meaning "to incline" or "to hang forward or down." Thus "leaning" and "inclination" are as good synonyms of "propensity" as any of those "p"-words.