ENGLISH
REFERENCE

penchant

n. countable
C1 Advanced US //ˈpɛntʃənt// UK //pˈɒnʃɒn// pen·chant

n. a strong liking for something or a habit of doing something often. You use this when someone really enjoys a specific activity or style.

n. a strong or habitual liking for something or a tendency to do something. Frequently paired with the preposition 'for'.


SIMPLE

He has a penchant for wearing colorful ties.

CONTEXTUAL

Her penchant for detail made her an excellent choice for the role of lead editor.

COMPLEX

Despite his penchant for solitude, the author occasionally emerged from his remote cabin to give lectures at the local university.

Synonyms
Origin

Unadapted borrowing from French penchant, present participle of pencher (“to tilt, to lean”), from Middle French, from Old French pengier (“to tilt, be out of line”), from Vulgar Latin *pendicāre, a derivative of Latin pendere (“to hang”).

Usage

Typically used with the preposition 'for' followed by a noun or a gerund.

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