Word of the Day

Saturday, October 23, 1999

proclivity

\pro-KLIV-uh-tee\ , noun;

A natural inclination; predisposition.

Read the full entry|See synonyms|Comment on today's word

Quotes:

New York City is full of people like Mr. O'Neal -- life-long bibliophiles with a proclivity for accumulation, holed up in compact spaces in the intimate company of thousands upon thousands upon thousands of books.

-- "For Some, Acquiring Books Has Become a Compulsion", New York Times, July 6, 1997

Those close to Clark from childhood were not surprised at how quickly he recognized the lucrative financial opportunities commercial announcing afforded, for Clark had demonstrated a proclivity for entrepreneurship as a youth.

-- John A. Jackson, American Bandstand: Dick Clark and the Making of a Rock 'n' Roll Empire

Origin:

Proclivity comes from Latin proclivitas, from proclivis, "inclined," from pro-, "forward" + clivus, "a slope."