propensity
noun
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You'll Like the Etymology of Propensity
If you’re partial to picking synonyms of propensity, perhaps peruse the letter "p," which predominates for such words, in our pages. Proclivity, preference, penchant, and predilection all share with propensity the principal meaning of "a strong instinct or liking." Propensity comes from Latin prōpensus, a form of prōpendēre, a verb meaning "to incline" or "to hang down" (as pendulous things do). With that in mind, it’s perfectly plausible that leaning and inclination are as good synonyms of propensity as any of those "p"-words.
Examples of propensity in a Sentence
Claudia Wallis, Time, 10 May 2004
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
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
He had a propensity for crime.
the criminal propensities of the family extended over several generations
Walter Pavlo, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024
The high propensity is believed to be due to geographic distribution or ancestry, rather than race.
—Kaan Ozcan, CNN, 30 Oct. 2024
This goes to a slight Harris advantage among likely voters, 51-47%, with some pro-Harris groups showing a bit more propensity to vote.
—Gary Langer, ABC News, 27 Oct. 2024
Furthermore, Nix has a propensity to distribute the ball efficiently in the short passing game, which led him to breaking the NCAA single-season record with a 77.4% completion rate as a senior with the Oregon Ducks.
—Dj Siddiqi, Forbes, 25 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for propensity 
Dictionary Entries Near propensity
Cite this Entry
“Propensity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/propensity. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.
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propensity
noun
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