penchant

noun pen·chant \ˈpen-chənt, especially British ˈpäⁿ-ˌshäⁿ\

: a strong liking for something or a strong tendency to behave in a certain way

Full Definition of PENCHANT

: a strong and continued inclination; broadly : liking

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Examples of PENCHANT

Aside from the Catholic penchant for fish on Fridays, there is also the tradition of eating red beans and rice on Monday … —Tom Piazza, Why New Orleans Matters, 2005
Whether manifested in feminine decor or in an approach to teaching that assumes a female penchant for cooperative, or “connected,” learning, stereotypical notions of femininity often infect institutions for women and girls. —Wendy Kaminer, Atlantic, April 1998
From both her father and mother she had inherited a penchant for art, literature, philosophy, and music. Already at eighteen she was dreaming of painting, singing, writing poetry, writing books, acting—anything and everything. —Theodore Dreiser, The Titan, 1914
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Origin of PENCHANT

French, from present participle of pencher to incline, from Vulgar Latin *pendicare, from Latin pendere to weigh

First Known Use: 1672

Related to PENCHANT

Synonyms: affection, affinity, aptitude, bent, bias, bone, devices, disposition, genius, habitude, impulse, leaning, partiality, inclination, predilection, predisposition, proclivity, propensity, tendency, turn

Synonym Discussion of PENCHANT

leaning, propensity, proclivity, penchant mean a strong instinct or liking for something. leaning suggests a liking or attraction not strong enough to be decisive or uncontrollable <a student with artistic leanings>. propensity implies a deeply ingrained and usually irresistible inclination <a propensity to offer advice>. proclivity suggests a strong natural proneness usually to something objectionable or evil <a proclivity for violence>. penchant implies a strongly marked taste in the person or an irresistible attraction in the object <a penchant for taking risks>.