Skip to main content
propensity

propensity

36 7.3
A natural tendency to behave in a certain way
  • noun
  • /prəˈpɛn.sɪ.ti/
translation icon : tendencia
  • His propensity to help others made him a beloved figure in the community.
  • a propensity to
  • high propensity
  • greater propensity

And that people's propensity to settle is reduced.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • A propensity for sweets.

  • It's, I mean, do you have sort of a, a propensity for going out with actors?

  • How do we avoid the human propensity for active negative feelings?

  • You have a propensity to break things.

  • Having a propensity for falling in love.

  • I would agree that because of the family genes, there is a propensity for addiction.

  • But sometimes those propensities can can go out of control.

  • Some kids have more of a propensity towards depression and some kids have more of a propensity towards mania.

  • You have such a fertile imagination, such a propensity for Gothic melodrama.

  • Many people have a propensity to procrastinate when they feel overwhelmed by tasks.

Synonyms

tendency
vspropensity
316 2.8

A usual way of behaving, thinking, or changing

is the same idea but often used in slightly more formal contexts
inclination
vspropensity
61 4.2

A natural tendency to want or choose something

is more neutral, describing an underlying natural tendency rather than a wish
disposition
vspropensity
43 4.6

A person's usual mood or natural way of behaving

is broader, naming a general tendency not limited to mood or temperament
proclivity
vspropensity
19 8.5

A natural liking or habit of doing something, often a bad thing

is neutral and does not imply moral or negative judgement
leaning
vspropensity
19 3.4

A tendency to prefer one idea or activity

is more about an ingrained behavioral likelihood rather than just a preference
predisposition
vspropensity
9 7.1

A tendency to think or behave in a certain way because of past experiences

is the general idea without stressing the prior causes or background
proneness
vspropensity
1 7.7

A tendency to do or experience something, often something bad

is neutral and does not stress undesirability or negative outcomes
aptness
vspropensity
7.0

A natural tendency to act or learn in a certain way

focuses on habitual behaviour tendency rather than suitability or chance

How Likely

penchant
37 8.2
propensity
36 7.3
tendency
316 2.8
inclination
61 4.2
leaning
19 3.4

Surface Forms

propensity singular
propensities plural

Morphology

propensity = propense (opaque) = propens + ity

Although formed with the productive suffix '-ity', the stem 'propens-/propense' is rare/Latin-derived and not a familiar English base, so learners cannot reliably infer the meaning from parts.

Etymology

The word propensity comes from Latin parts pro- meaning 'forward' and pend meaning 'to hang or lean', the same root in the word depend. So a propensity is like a natural 'lean' toward a certain way of behaving.