propensity

pro·pen·si·ty

noun \prə-ˈpen(t)-sə-tē\

plural pro·pen·si·ties

Definition of PROPENSITY

: an often intense natural inclination or preference

Examples of PROPENSITY

1. He had a propensity for crime.
2. <the criminal propensities of the family extended over several generations>
3. Other researches are exploring how the adolescent propensity for uninhibited risk taking propels teens to experiment with drugs and alcohol. —Claudia Wallis, Time, 10 May 2004
4. On the other hand, a jury might be convinced that a meth dealer who had brazenly fired a pistol through his door had a propensity for violence. —John Cloud, Time, 14 July 2003
5. A central tenet of this camp's proponents is that a considerable number of biological dispositions evolved during the Stone Age, including a male propensity for making war. —Bruce Bower, Science News, 27 Jan. 2001

Origin of PROPENSITY

(see propense)

First Known Use: 1570

Related to PROPENSITY

Synonyms: aptness, proneness, tendency, way

Related Words: affinity, aptitude, bent, disposition, inclination, leaning, mind-set, partiality, penchant, predilection, predisposition, proclivity, turn; custom, habit, pattern, practice (also practise), routine, wont; eccentricity, idiosyncrasy, oddity, peculiarity, quirk, singularity, trick

Near Antonyms: averseness, disinclination, dislike, indisposition

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See Synonym Discussion at leaning