propensity
Americannoun
-
propensities
plural
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a natural inclination or tendency.
a propensity to drink too much.
- Synonyms:
- proclivity, penchant, disposition, leaning, bent
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Obsolete. favorable disposition or partiality.
noun
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a natural tendency or disposition
-
obsolete partiality
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of propensity
Compare meaning
How does propensity compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
A propensity is a natural tendency to behave in a certain way. We all have propensities — things we tend to do. Dogs have a propensity to bark, and many people have a propensity for getting annoyed by it. If you have a propensity for something, then it's something that comes naturally to you or something you just do a lot. Some people have a propensity to laugh. Other people have a propensity for making others laugh, or for being generous, or for getting angry. It's hard to change your propensities. Sometimes a propensity is a bad thing, as in a criminal with a propensity for theft or murder.
Vocabulary lists containing propensity
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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Grade 11, List 4
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The Scarlet Letter
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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.
See Examples For:
This propensity for attention-grabbing was certainly in full effect at Bill Pay’s official premiere.
From Slate ● Oct. 1, 2026
While Americans would not spend all of the $5,000, a reasonable assumption is that they would spend more than 60%, or what economists call the marginal propensity to consume.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026
Galperin is similarly skeptical of any potential features that could meaningfully curb stalking: “It is not salvageable technology because of just the sheer scale of propensity to abuse.”
From Salon ● Aug. 17, 2026
The part of New Jersey that Kean represents is considered a swing district, meaning it has a high propensity to flip between Republicans and Democrats each election cycle.
From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026
The dark circles under my eyes spoke to the rooster’s propensity for early morning announcements.
From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson
The upshot is that equity wealth is increasingly available to fund spending among households with higher marginal propensities to consume.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 17, 2026
I’m still the same person with the same propensities.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 12, 2026
The authors say that the study cannot disentangle the mechanisms driving the difference in the propensities to attend to social information.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 5, 2024
“He didn’t seem like a violent guy whatsoever. There were no dangerous propensities that would stick out. That’s why I was pretty shocked to see it was him doing that. Definitely completely out of character.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 9, 2023
How fearful were the curses those propensities entailed on me!
From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
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.
