Most people lean one way or another: toward music or math, toward cats or dogs, toward sleeping late or rising early. This topic gives you ten words for those leanings, from natural talents to favorite treats to everyday habits.
Key idea
Tendencies: inclination, propensity, proclivity (often a bad habit), predisposed (leaning that way before you start). Likings: affinity, penchant, predilection. Nature and talent: disposition (usual mood), aptitude (natural ability). Habit: wont.
Look for the pictures of leaning and hanging inside them: inclination and proclivity come from Latin words for leaning and sloping, and propensity and penchant from words for hanging.
The ten words
Common mistake
proclivity often hints at a bad habit; penchant and predilection are usually neutral or fond. wont (a habit) rhymes with "want" in most American speech but is a different word.
| word | what kind of leaning | tone |
|---|---|---|
| inclination, propensity | a natural tendency | neutral |
| proclivity | a tendency, often to something unwise | often negative |
| predisposed | leaning that way beforehand | neutral |
| affinity | a natural liking or connection | warm |
| penchant, predilection | a strong or special liking | neutral or fond |
| disposition | usual mood or nature | neutral |
| aptitude | a natural ability | positive |
| wont | a habit | neutral |
Wont (a habit, said WAWNT, like want in many American accents) is a different word from won’t (will not). “As is her wont” means “as she usually does.”