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
-
a natural tendency or disposition
-
obsolete partiality
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.
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
The central bank’s propensity for buying and holding large quantities of assets drags it into fiscal arguments where it doesn’t belong, for instance—as Mr. Warsh often points out.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026
“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
And it’s a little too close to my own propensity for lying to be comfortable.
From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black
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.
