proclivity

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UK/pɹəʊˈklɪvɪti/UK/pɹəˈklɪvɪti/Canada, US/pɹoʊˈklɪvɪti/Canada, US[pɹoʊˈklɪvɪɾi]

noun

A predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection; especially, a strong disposition or bent.

“The child has a proclivity for exaggeration.”

UncommonScrabble 20

Meanings

nounproclivity (plural proclivities)

plural proclivities

  1. A predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection; especially, a strong disposition or bent.

    The child has a proclivity for exaggeration.

    4 more examples

    This therefore was the reason why the still comparatively young though dissolute man who now addressed Stephen was spoken of by some with facetious proclivities as Lord John Corley.

    1922 February 2, James Joyce, “[16]”, in Ulysses, Paris: Shakespeare and Company […], →OCLC

    The idea is that the choice of x when facing the alternatives #92;#123;x,y#92;#125; reveals a proclivity for choosing x over y that we should expect to see reflected in the individual's behavior when faced with the alternatives #92;#123;x,y,z#92;#125;.

    1995, Andreu Mas-Colell, Michael D. Whinston, and Jerry R. Green, Microeconomic Theory, Oxford University Press, page 10

    The sermon that morning was ostensibly about healthy sexual relationships, but scathing critiques of capitalism and corporations also got significant airtime. (“I have leftist proclivities,” Brown explained.)

    2016 March 22, Emma Green, quoting Pastor Brown, “Where Is the Church in the Black Lives Matter Movement?”, in The Atlantic, archived from the original on 16 Apr 2019

    A contingent of venture capitalists and entrepreneurs have spurred a rightward shift, leading to the rise of the “Liberaltarian” — a term coined by two Stanford political economists to describe the tech industry’s proclivity toward trumpeting liberalism in some social issues but maintaining antigovernment posturing in regulating businesses.

    2025 August 4, Mike Isaac, “A.I. Has Ushered in Silicon Valley’s ‘Hard Tech’ Era”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 04 Aug 2025

    Synonyms: penchant, propensity, affinity, bag, bent, love, cup of coffee, cup of joe

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection; especially, a strong disposition or bent.

More synonyms by meaning

nouna natural inclination

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latinprōclīvitās
  2. Englishproclivity

From Latin prōclīvitās, from prōclīvis (“prone to”).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian склонност, тенденция
  • склонност (sklonnost)A predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • тенденция (tendencija)A predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
Chinese Cantonese 傾向 /倾向, 癖性
  • 傾向 /倾向A predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • 癖性A predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
Chinese Mandarin 怪癖
  • 怪癖 (guài pǐ)A predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
Danish tilbøjelighed, tendens
  • tilbøjelighedA predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • tendensA predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
Dutch aanleg, neiging
  • aanlegA predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • neigingA predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
Finnish taipumus
  • taipumusA predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
French propension, penchant
  • propensionA predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • penchantA predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • tendanceA predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • inclinationA predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
German Hang, Vorliebe
  • HangA predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • VorliebeA predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • SchwächeA predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • NeigungA predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
Greek τάση, ροπή
  • τάση (tási)A predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • ροπή (ropí)A predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • κλίση (klísi)A predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
Hungarian hajlam, hajlandóság
  • hajlamA predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • hajlandóságA predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • hajlamosságA predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
Italian tendenza
  • tendenzaA predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
Latin prōclīvitās
  • prōclīvitāsA predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
Norwegian tendens
  • tendensA predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
Polish skłonność
  • skłonnośćA predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
Russian скло́нность
  • скло́нность (sklónnostʹ)A predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
Slovak sklon, predispozícia
  • sklonA predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • predispozíciaA predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • inklináciaA predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • tendenciaA predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • záľubaA predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • zaľúbenieA predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • slabosťA predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
Spanish propensión, tendencia
  • propensiónA predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • tendenciaA predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • inclinaciónA predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • aficiónA predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • predilecciónA predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • gustoA predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
Swedish böjelse, benägenhet
  • böjelseA predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • benägenhetA predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
Turkish yatkınlık, eğilim
  • yatkınlıkA predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • eğilimA predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • temayülA predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
Ukrainian схильність, нахил
  • схильність (sxylʹnistʹ)A predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • нахил (naxyl)A predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with proclivity

All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

proclivity. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/proclivity

MLA

“proclivity.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/proclivity. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “proclivity,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/proclivity.

Source: proclivity on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.