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penchant

American  
[pen-chuhnt, pahn-shahn] / ˈpɛn tʃənt, pɑ̃ˈʃɑ̃ /

noun

  1. a strong inclination, taste, or liking for something.

    a penchant for outdoor sports.
penchant British  
/ ˈpɒŋʃɒŋ /

noun

  1. a strong inclination or liking; bent or taste

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
penchant Idioms  

  1. see have a penchant for.

Etymology

Origin of penchant

1665–75; < French, noun use of present participle of pencher to incline, lean < Vulgar Latin *pendicāre, derivative of Latin pendēre to hang

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The only player to feature in this list twice, Anelka's one-time France teammate Saha had a particular penchant for visiting his former clubs.

From BBC

His genial demeanour and penchant for folksy parables belie a past as a wily guerrilla fighter and ruthless political survivor.

From Barron's

Given the Englishman's penchant for success on classic courses and the fact that he won the 2013 US open at nearby Merion, Rose could be one to watch at the year's second men's major.

From BBC

Despite the internet’s penchant for confusing popularity with profundity, “Heated Rivalry,” Canada’s completely inescapable gay romance series about two star-crossed hockey players, only has glimpses of true complexity.

From Salon

But he also has a penchant for deer, beef and the occasional chicken.

From BBC

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.