proclivity
noun
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.
Examples of proclivity in a Sentence
Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025
The series has stopped short of showing the constant abuse Janine is put through in Jezebel’s private rooms, but viewers can easily imagine for themselves, given Bell’s expressed proclivities and fascination with Janine.
—Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 12 May 2025
She’s been an opinion writer here at The Times (from 2005 to 2016) and a personal essayist of sometimes provocative proclivities for decades.
—Charles Arrowsmith, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2025
Neither Congress nor members of his administration have shown any proclivity for ensuring compliance with the law.
—Erwin Chemerinsky, Twin Cities, 6 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for proclivity
Cite this Entry
“Proclivity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/proclivity. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
proclivity
noun
Share