propensity
English
Etymology
From propense (“inclined, disposed”) + -ity, the former from Latin prōpensus, perfect passive participle of prōpendeō.
Pronunciation
Noun
propensity (countable and uncountable, plural propensities)
- An inclination, disposition, tendency, preference, or attraction.
- 1902, William James, The Varieties of Religious Experience, Lecture I:
- To the psychologist the religious propensities of man must be at least as interesting as any other of the facts pertaining to his mental constitution. It would seem, therefore, that, as a psychologist, the natural thing for me would be to invite you to a descriptive survey of those religious propensities.
- 2013 May-June, Katie L. Burke, “In the News”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 3, page 193:
- Bats host many high-profile viruses that can infect humans, including severe acute respiratory syndrome and Ebola. A recent study explored the ecological variables that may contribute to bats’ propensity to harbor such zoonotic diseases by comparing them with another order of common reservoir hosts: rodents.
- He has a propensity for lengthy discussions of certain favorite topics.
- 1902, William James, The Varieties of Religious Experience, Lecture I:
Synonyms
- proclivity, propension, predilection, see also Thesaurus:predilection
Related terms
Translations
tendency
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