Synonyms for tendency
Most common
propensity predisposition proclivity penchant inclination disposition
Synonyms by meaning
Noun
1. Propensity
propensity, predisposition, proclivity, penchant, predilection, leaning, proneness, bias, turn, liking, aptitude, appetite, bent, aptness, partiality
2. Inclination
Definitions
- n. 1
A likelihood of behaving in a particular way or going in a particular direction; a tending toward.
Denim has a tendency to fade.
- n. 2
An organised unit or faction within a larger political organisation.
Related words
- Word family
- tendentious
Forms
- Plural
- tendencies → propensities, predispositions, proclivities, penchants…
Choose the right word
Course is the direction of a moving object; inclination, that toward which a stationary object leans; tendency, the direction toward which anything stretches or reaches out; tendency is stronger and more active than inclination.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- propensity He has a propensity of picking his nose in public.
- penchant Women have a natural penchant for the mysterious.
- proclivity Your record indicates a proclivity for violence.
- trend This has been the trend for the past twenty years.
- characteristic The defiant manner is characteristic of teenagers.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| tendency | falling | |
| propensity | rising | |
| penchant | rising | |
| predisposition | rising | |
| proclivity | rising | |
| trend | falling |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 3 letters
- set1, aim1
- 4 letters
- turn1, bias2, bent1
- 5 letters
- trend1, drift1
- 6 letters
- course1, liking2
- 7 letters
- current2, quality3, bearing2, leaning2, aptness
- 8 letters
- appetite3, instinct2, aptitude3, penchant2
- 9 letters
- direction3, liability5, proneness
- 10 letters
- propensity4, proclivity4, partiality5
- 11 letters
- disposition4, inclination4
- 12 letters
- predilection4
- 14 letters
- characteristic5, predisposition5
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (bias2 = 2 syllables).