prone

¹ American  

[prohn] / proʊn /

adjective

1. having a natural inclination or tendency to something; disposed; liable.

   to be prone to anger.

   Synonyms:

   subject, apt

2. having the front or ventral part downward; lying face downward.

3. lying flat; prostrate.

   Synonyms:

   recumbent

4. having a downward direction or slope.

5. having the palm downward, as the hand.

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prone ² American  

[prohn] / proʊn /

noun

1. a sermon or a brief hortatory introduction to a sermon, usually delivered at a service at which the Eucharist is celebrated.

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prone ¹ British  

/ prəʊn /

adjective

1. lying flat or face downwards; prostrate

2. sloping or tending downwards

3. having an inclination to do something

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-prone ² British  

combining form

1. liable or disposed to suffer

   accident-prone

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Other Word Forms

• pronely adverb
• proneness noun

Etymology

Origin of prone¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin prōnus “turned or leaning forward, inclined downward, disposed,” adverb based on prō pro ¹ ( def. )

Origin of prone²

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” ( door ( def. ) )

Example Sentences

Understanding how they influence retreat rates will help scientists better forecast which glaciers might be prone to sudden collapse in the future.

From Science Daily

Bears see this as a safer route than betting against stocks, which are more prone to sudden price spikes that could squeeze their short positions.

From The Wall Street Journal

"Right after the second prone shooting, my body somehow stopped functioning normally and I was really struggling to breathe and move, so I had to stop," he wrote.

From Barron's

This aging infrastructure is uniquely prone to the exact cyber threats these AI agents are meant to stop.

From The Wall Street Journal

The anti-Assad forces were splintered, mutually mistrustful and prone to looting; the areas they controlled descended into anarchy.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• apt
• devoted
• exposed
• inclined
• ready
• sensitive
• susceptible
• willing