prone

¹

[ prohn ]

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.

prone

²

[ prohn ]

noun

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

-prone

¹

combining form

1. liable or disposed to suffer

   accident-prone

prone

²

/ prəʊn /

adjective

1. lying flat or face downwards; prostrate
2. sloping or tending downwards
3. having an inclination to do something

Derived Forms

• ˈproneness, noun
• ˈpronely, adverb

Other Words From

• pronely adverb
• proneness noun

Word History and Origins

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 ) )

Word History and Origins

Origin of prone¹

C14: from Latin prōnus bent forward, from pro- ¹

Example Sentences

As the machines become more controllable and less error-prone, they become more useful.

From Fortune

Alcántara doesn’t fit with Liverpool’s recent transfer strategy — he’s 29 and injury prone — but he would certainly give the Reds a different look going forward.

From FiveThirtyEight

There is no doubt that many people would be prone to anthropomorphize even a simple chatbot built with GPT-3.

From Nautilus

Here’s an example of the tool in action on a million-dollar property in flood-prone Beverly Hills, Calif.

From Fortune

While in the future we may be able to build quantum computers that are less prone to disturbances, in the meantime we will need to find ways to mitigate the errors they cause.

From Singularity Hub 

He was funny and self-effacing, though prone to fits of anger.

From The Daily Beast

That gave a huge advantage to the sunny Republican prone to hugging supporters.

From The Daily Beast

Did her handlers fear what for the gaffe-prone Republican might say?

From The Daily Beast

Some kids are prone to letting their minds wander and daydreaming.

From The Daily Beast

For people prone to believe doctors like me are part of some malign conspiracy, nothing I say will make a difference.

From The Daily Beast

Last night I saw Jean Baptiste lying prone upon the floor, and knew that she had beaten him down to it, and he had not resisted.

From Project Gutenberg

He was flung down heavily, and pinned prone in a corner by one of those bullies who knelt on his spine.

From Project Gutenberg

They are extremely prone to change, and in presence of animal matters readily ferment, and are converted into salts of ammonia.

From Project Gutenberg

And here I was, prone and helpless, being powwowed not for one ailment, but for all the diseases known in Happy Valley.

From Project Gutenberg

Man is innately more prone to good than to evil; and the path of his destiny is upward.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

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