propensity
Americannoun
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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.
Retail trading activity set records in May and June — and the propensity of that cohort to buy the dip has looked pretty smart.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 2, 2026
They devoted most of their appeal to arguing that the court should take up the case because judges are divided on when propensity evidence should be excluded.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 29, 2026
Higher yields could also put more pressure on the housing market, dampening consumers’ propensity to spend, Berezin said.
From MarketWatch • May 20, 2026
She asked Musk for a "clean slate" going forward, and that he "Try to control your propensity to use social media to make things worse outside this courtroom."
From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026
Northeastern Indians were appalled by the European propensity to divide themselves into social classes, with those on the lower rungs of the hierarchy compelled to defer to those on the upper.
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.
