Standard Lemma guide

propensity

noun · 4 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.

  • /pɹəˈpɛnsɪti/
  • California: Santa Clara Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: P R AH0 P EH1 N S IH0 T IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

An inclination, disposition, tendency, preference, or attraction.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • He has a propensity for lengthy discussions of certain favorite topics.

Meaning relationships

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

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a disposition to behave in a certain way

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the aptness of iron to rust
  • the propensity of disease to spread

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: aptness

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: disposition

3

noun

Meaning 3

a natural inclination

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he has a proclivity for exaggeration

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: proclivity, leaning

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: inclination, disposition, tendency

4

noun

Meaning 4

an inclination to do something

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he felt leanings toward frivolity

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: leaning, tendency

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: inclination

History

Etymology

Learned borrowing from New Latin prōpensitās. By surface analysis, propense (“inclined, disposed”) + -ity.

Across languages

Translations

57 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: ميل — tendency
  • Azerbaijani: meyil — tendency
  • Bulgarian: скло́нност (sklónnost) — tendency
  • Bulgarian: накло́нност (naklónnost) — tendency
  • Bulgarian: тенде́нция (tendéncija) — tendency
  • Bulgarian: предразположе́ние (predrazpoložénie) — tendency
  • Catalan: propensió — tendency
  • Danish: tilbøjelighed — tendency
  • Danish: tendens — tendency
  • Dutch: neiging — tendency
  • Dutch: beheptheid — tendency
  • Dutch: geneigdheid — tendency
  • Finnish: taipumus — tendency
  • French: propension — tendency
  • French: tendance — tendency
  • Galician: propensión — tendency
  • Georgian: მიდრეკილება (midreḳileba) — tendency
  • German: Neigung — tendency
  • German: Tendenz — tendency
  • Greek: κλίση (klísi) — tendency
  • Greek: ροπή (ropí) — tendency
  • Greek: τάση (tási) — tendency
  • Hindi: प्रवृत्ति (pravŕtti) — tendency
  • Hungarian: hajlam — tendency
  • Icelandic: tilhneigingu — tendency
  • Italian: propensione — tendency
  • Italian: tendenza — tendency
  • Italian: inclinazione — tendency
  • Japanese: 傾向 (keikou) — tendency
  • Japanese: 性向 (seikou) — tendency
  • Latin: prōpensiō — tendency
  • Macedonian: скло́ност (sklónost) — tendency
  • Malayalam: പ്രവണത (pravaṇata) — tendency
  • Norwegian: tilbøyelighet — tendency
  • Occitan: propension — tendency
  • Occitan: tendéncia — tendency
  • Occitan: predileccion — tendency
  • Persian: میل (meyl) — tendency
  • Persian: گرایش (gerâyeš) — tendency
  • Polish: skłonność — tendency
  • Portuguese: propensão — tendency
  • Portuguese: tendência — tendency
  • Portuguese: inclinação — tendency
  • Portuguese: predisposição — tendency
  • Portuguese: predileção — tendency
  • Romanian: predilecție — tendency
  • Romanian: tendință — tendency
  • Russian: скло́нность (sklónnostʹ) — tendency
  • Swedish: benägenhet — tendency
  • Swedish: böjelse — tendency
  • Swedish: tendens — tendency
  • Swedish: förkärlek — tendency
  • Turkish: eğilim — tendency
  • Turkish: meyelan — tendency
  • Turkish: meyil — tendency
  • Turkish: temayül — tendency
  • Ukrainian: схильність (sxylʹnistʹ) — tendency