Meaning & use

prone

adjective·Academic

Likely to suffer from, do, or experience something, usually something negative.

See it in a sentence

This coastal region is prone to flooding during the rainy season.

Tired drivers are more prone to making careless mistakes on the road.

A note on using this word

Prone is followed by 'to,' not 'for' or 'of'; 'prone to error' is correct, not 'prone for error.'

Words with a similar meaning

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

Another way to use it

2. adjective

Lying flat with the front of the body facing downward.

The soldier moved into a prone position before taking aim at the target.

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “prone”, then compare your use with the examples above.

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