having a natural inclination or tendency to something; disposed; liable.
to be prone to anger.
having the front or ventral part downward; lying face downward.
lying flat; prostrate.
having a downward direction or slope.
having the palm downward, as the hand.
lying flat or face downwards; prostrate
sloping or tending downwards
having an inclination to do something
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin prōnus “turned or leaning forward, inclined downward, disposed,” adverb based on prō pro 1 ( def. )
First recorded in 1660–70; from French prône “grill, grating (separating chancel from nave),” so called because notices and addresses were delivered there, from Old French prodne, prorne, prosne, by way of a Medieval Latin or Late Latin intermediary such as protinum (unrecorded) from Latin prothyrum “foyer, porch, vestibule,” from Greek próthyron, from pró pro- 2 ( def. ) + thýra “door” ( see also door ( def. ))
If you're prone to doing something, it means you're likely to do it, have a habit of doing it, or are susceptible to it. People who are prone to getting the flu every winter should probably get a flu shot in the fall. The second meaning of prone is "lying face down," and the Latin root is pronare, "to bend forward." This is a handy way to remember both meanings: if you tend to wait to start your term paper until the night before it's due, you are prone to procrastination — you bend toward it. If you stay up so late you fall asleep face down in the book, you are now prone at your desk.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But Oddie had always been prone to bouts of depression and he was eventually diagnosed with bipolar disorder - which he occasionally blamed on his remote relationship with his mother.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
But some are prone to ludicrous circumlocutions like “Johnny faces challenges in the lived experience of interactions with his peer group in educational spaces,” instead of “Johnny doesn’t get along with his classmates.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
Even investment professionals are prone to this rewriting of history.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026
Additionally, with youth criminal involvement hitting historic lows, the next generation appears to be one of the least criminally prone in decades, which bodes well for continued reductions in the murder rate.
From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2026
Ella had read about the starfolk in Curious Creatures of the Marvellian World, and it was true, they weren't prone to favors.
From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
