propensity
Americannoun
plural
propensities-
a natural inclination or tendency.
a propensity to drink too much.
- Synonyms:
- proclivity, penchant, disposition, leaning, bent
-
Obsolete. favorable disposition or partiality.
noun
-
a natural tendency or disposition
-
obsolete partiality
Etymology
Origin of propensity
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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.
“Also, if there is no clinical data for a substance, and an awareness that the substance has the propensity for harm, that could make it an appropriate placement on the Category 2 list.”
From Salon • Apr. 4, 2026
At times they’ve shown a propensity for high-powered offense.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 1, 2026
“We may have come to a bit of a turning point with less of a propensity for speculators to sell the yen,” he says.
From Barron's • Feb. 10, 2026
At the core, 4o’s popularity and its potential for harm appear to stem from the same quality: its humanlike propensity to build emotional connections with users, often by mirroring and encouraging them.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 10, 2026
The dark circles under my eyes spoke to the rooster’s propensity for early morning announcements.
From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson
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.
