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proclivity

American  
[proh-kliv-i-tee] / proʊˈklɪv ɪ ti /

noun

plural

proclivities

  1. natural or habitual inclination or tendency; propensity; predisposition.

    a proclivity to meticulousness.
    Synonyms:
    disposition, leaning, bent
    Antonyms:
    aversion
proclivity British  
/ prəˈklɪvɪtɪ /

noun

  1. a tendency or inclination

"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

Etymology

Origin of proclivity

1585–95; < Latin prōclīvitās tendency, literally, a steep descent, steepness, equivalent to prōclīv ( is ) sloping forward, steep ( prō- pro- 1 + clīv ( us ) slope + -is adj. suffix) + -itās -ity

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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.

Fans who attended those gigs will know that Ridings hasn't completely abandoned her proclivity for a heartbroken love song.

From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026

He approves of credit, too, despite the human proclivity to alternately gorge and fast on loans and bonds and mortgages.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 12, 2025

The most notable stock-market research over the weekend comes from academia, where researchers studied those rascals in Congress and their proclivity to trade.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 1, 2025

Nonetheless, Woohoo has resonated with customers accustomed to the lavish offerings of Dubai, a tech-forward megalopolis with a proclivity for extravagance where AI has its own minister.

From Barron's • Nov. 30, 2025

The two men differ in build, temperament, and scholarly proclivity, but they pressed their faces to the windows with identical enthusiasm.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

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.