Standard Lemma guide

proclivity

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /pɹəʊˈklɪvɪti/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /pɹəˈklɪvɪti/
  • Canada, General-American: /pɹoʊˈklɪvɪti/
  • Canada, General-American: [pɹoʊˈklɪvɪɾi]
  • Canada, General-American: /pɹoʊˈklɪvəti/
  • Canada, General-American: [pɹoʊˈklɪvəɾi]
  • Canada, General-American: /pɹəˈklɪvɪti/
  • Canada, General-American: [pɹəˈklɪvɪɾi]
  • California: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australian: /pɹəʉˈklɪvɪti/
  • Australian: [pɹəʉˈklɪvɪɾi]
  • rhymes with -ɪvɪti
  • CMU ARPABET: P R OW0 K L IH1 V AH0 T IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection; especially, a strong disposition or bent.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The child has a proclivity for exaggeration.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: penchant, propensity, affinity, bag, bent, cup of coffee, cup of joe, cup of tea, dish, fancy, jam, liking, partiality, predilection, predisposition, preference, proclivity, propension, shine, taste, thing

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a natural inclination

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he has a proclivity for exaggeration

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: propensity, leaning

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: inclination, disposition, tendency

History

Etymology

From Latin prōclīvitās, from prōclīvis (“prone to”).

Across languages

Translations

51 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: հակում (hakum) — A predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • Armenian: հակվածություն (hakvacutʻyun) — A predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • Bulgarian: склонност (sklonnost) — A predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • Bulgarian: тенденция (tendencija) — A predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • Chinese Cantonese: 傾向 /倾向 — A predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • Chinese Cantonese: 癖性 — A predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • Chinese Mandarin: 怪癖 (guài pǐ) — A predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • Danish: tilbøjelighed — A predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • Danish: tendens — A predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • Dutch: aanleg — A predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • Dutch: neiging — A predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • Finnish: taipumus — A predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • French: propension — A predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • French: penchant — A predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • French: tendance — A predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • French: inclination — A predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • German: Hang — A predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • German: Vorliebe — A predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • German: Schwäche — A predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • German: Neigung — A predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • Greek: τάση (tási) — A predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • Greek: ροπή (ropí) — A predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • Greek: κλίση (klísi) — A predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • Hungarian: hajlam — A predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • Hungarian: hajlandóság — A predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • Hungarian: hajlamosság — A predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • Italian: tendenza — A predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • Latin: prōclīvitās — A predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • Norwegian: tendens — A predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • Polish: skłonność — A predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • Russian: скло́нность (sklónnostʹ) — A predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • Slovak: sklon — A predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • Slovak: predispozícia — A predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • Slovak: inklinácia — A predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • Slovak: tendencia — A predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • Slovak: záľuba — A predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • Slovak: zaľúbenie — A predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • Slovak: slabosť — A predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • Spanish: propensión — A predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • Spanish: tendencia — A predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • Spanish: inclinación — A predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • Spanish: afición — A predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • Spanish: predilección — A predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • Spanish: gusto — A predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • Swedish: böjelse — A predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • Swedish: benägenhet — A predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • Turkish: yatkınlık — A predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • Turkish: eğilim — A predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • Turkish: temayül — A predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • Ukrainian: схильність (sxylʹnistʹ) — A predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection
  • Ukrainian: нахил (naxyl) — A predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection