propensity

  • 1propensity — pro‧pen‧si‧ty [prəˈpensti] noun propensities PLURALFORM [countable] 1. a tendency to behave in a particular way: • The plastic bodied car s propensity to catch fire killed demand. 2. marginal propensity to consume ECONOMICS the relationship… …

    Financial and business terms

  • 2Propensity — Pro*pen si*ty, n.; pl. {Propensities}. The quality or state of being propense; natural inclination; disposition to do good or evil; bias; bent; tendency. A propensity to utter blasphemy. Macaulay. [1913 Webster] Syn: Disposition; bias;… …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 3propensity — I noun ability, affinity, aptitude, aptness, art, attraction, bent, bias, capacity, deftness, dexterity, disposition, facility, fancy, favor, felicity, fondness, forte, genius, gift, inclination, knack, leaning, liking, mind, partiality, passion …

    Law dictionary

  • 4propensity — 1560s, disposition to favor, from obsolete adj. propense inclined, prone (1520s), from L. propendere incline to, hang forward, weigh over, from pro forward (see PRO (Cf. pro )) + pendere hang (see PENDANT (Cf. pendant)) …

    Etymology dictionary

  • 5propensity — *leaning, proclivity, penchant, flair Analogous words: *predilection, prejudice, bias, prepossession: *gift, aptitude, bent, turn, knack: predisposition, disposition, inclination (see corresponding verbs at INCLINE) Antonyms: antipathy …

    New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • 6propensity — [n] inclination, weakness ability, aptness, bent*, bias, capacity, competence, disposition, flash, inclining, leaning, liability, partiality, penchant, predilection, predisposition, proclivity, proneness, susceptibility, sweet tooth*, talent,… …

    New thesaurus

  • 7propensity — ► NOUN (pl. propensities) ▪ an inclination or tendency. ORIGIN from Latin propensus inclined …

    English terms dictionary

  • 8propensity — [prə pen′sə tē] n. pl. propensities [< propense, inclined < L propensus, pp. of propendere (see PROPEND) + ITY] 1. a natural inclination or tendency; bent 2. Obs. favorable inclination; bias ( for) SYN. INCLINATION …

    English World dictionary

  • 9propensity — n. (formal) 1) a propensity for (a propensity for exaggerating) 2) a propensity to + inf. (he has a propensity to exaggerate) * * * [prə pensɪtɪ] (formal) a propensity for (a propensity for exaggerating) a propensity to + inf. (he has a… …

    Combinatory dictionary

  • 10propensity — pro|pen|si|ty [prəˈpensıti] n plural propensities [C usually singular] [Date: 1500 1600; Origin: propense tending (16 19 centuries), from Latin, past participle of propendere to lean toward ] formal a natural tendency to behave in a particular… …

    Dictionary of contemporary English