Meaning & use
proclivity
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Meaning
nouncountableformal
A natural tendency to behave in a certain way or to be drawn to something, often one that is not ideal.
Grammar: Usually followed by for, toward or to: a proclivity for risk.
Patterns
- a proclivity for something
- a proclivity to do something
- a proclivity toward something
He has a proclivity for exaggerating when he tells stories.
Her proclivity toward perfectionism made her slow to finish projects.
The cat's proclivity for climbing curtains cost us three sets.
Word forms
| plural | proclivities |
|---|
Common combinations
- a proclivity for violence
- The report warns of a proclivity for violence among some fans.
- natural proclivity
- She has a natural proclivity for numbers.
- a proclivity to overspend
- His proclivity to overspend left him in debt.
- a proclivity toward
- The study found a proclivity toward risk-taking in teenagers.
- dangerous proclivities
- Colleagues noticed his dangerous proclivities long before the scandal.
Synonyms and how they differ
- tendency
- Tendency is a plain word that can apply to anything, while proclivity sounds formal and suggests a personal leaning.
- inclination
- Inclination often means a mild preference, whereas proclivity sounds like a deeper habitual pull.
- propensity
- Propensity is very close in meaning but is slightly more common when speaking about risks or results.
- penchant
- Penchant suggests a fondness or liking, often for something enjoyable, while proclivity may be neutral or negative.
Opposites
Word family
- declivity noun
- a downward slope, from the same Latin root
- acclivity noun
- an upward slope
Commonly confused: proclivity or proclamation?
proclivity vs proclamation
A proclamation is an official public announcement. A proclivity is a personal tendency.
Practice
He has a ______ for telling jokes at the wrong moment.
Choose one answer.
A proclivity is a habitual tendency, and it is typically followed by for. The other nouns look similar but cannot be followed by for in this way.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “proclivity”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.