Proclivity

WORD OF THE DAY

 

PROCLIVITY \ proh-KLIV-uh-tee \ noun

 

Definition

1a: an inclination or predisposition toward something

1b: a strong inherent inclination toward something objectionable

 

Examples

Martin's proclivity to lose his temper made him difficult to work with.

"Neither graduated from high school nor had any engineering background. But [Wilbur and Orville Wright] had a crucial trait: a proclivity for tinkering."
— Curt Schleier, The Investor's Business Daily, 4 Sept. 2015

 

Did You Know?

Have you always had this leaning toward wanting to know about words and their etymologies? Maybe you even have a propensity to use the featured word several times in the course of the day—due, of course, not to a proclivity for pretentiousness, but because you simply have a penchant for using a rich vocabulary.

And perhaps you have a predilection for using lots of synonyms, such as proclivity (from clivus, the Latin word for "slope"), referring to a tendency usually toward something bad; propensity, suggesting an often uncontrollable inclination; penchant, meaning an irresistible attraction; and predilection, which describes a strong liking derived from one's temperament.