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proclivity: msg#00028

culture.language.word-of-the-day

Subject: proclivity

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The Word of the Day for January 29 is:

proclivity \proh-KLIV-uh-tee\ noun
: an inclination or predisposition toward something;
especially : a strong inherent inclination toward something
objectionable

Example sentence:
Our proclivity to remember things selectively often means
that memory simply cannot be relied on.

Did you know?
Have you always had this leaning toward wanting to know
about words and their etymologies? Maybe you even have a
propensity to use the featured word several times in the course
of the day -- due, of course, not to a proclivity for
pretentiousness, but because you simply have a penchant for
using a rich vocabulary. And perhaps you have a predilection
for using lots of synonyms, such as "proclivity"
(from "clivus," the Latin word for "slope"), referring to a
tendency toward something bad, "propensity," suggesting an
often uncontrollable inclination, "penchant," meaning an
irresistible attraction, and "predilection," which describes a
strong liking derived from one's temperament.








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