as in inclinations
a habitual attraction to some activity or thing
a young lad with a predilection for telling tall tales
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Recent Examples of predilections
Peggy isn’t panicked by her son’s alpha-male predilections.
—
Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
But tell that to the phalanx of local and national entities — from community boards to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission — that don't share their predilections.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 18 Jan. 2026
The big unknown, of course, is how long Trump is willing to stay selling the idea, and whether Republicans will bend to his predilections.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 14 Jan. 2026
PlatinumGames share many of the same predilections at Team Ninja (mainly boobs and violence) but carved their own niche as the creators of hyper-kinetic action games like Bayonetta that stretch the boundaries of what the human attention span can manage.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 20 Oct. 2025
Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
But tell that to the phalanx of local and national entities — from community boards to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission — that don't share their predilections.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 18 Jan. 2026
The big unknown, of course, is how long Trump is willing to stay selling the idea, and whether Republicans will bend to his predilections.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 14 Jan. 2026
PlatinumGames share many of the same predilections at Team Ninja (mainly boobs and violence) but carved their own niche as the creators of hyper-kinetic action games like Bayonetta that stretch the boundaries of what the human attention span can manage.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 20 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for predilections
Noun
-
The ability to create offense individually, put pressure on the rim and set up stationary shooters — as much as such violates Kerr’s inclinations — have become necessary to beat good modern defenses.—
Marcus Thompson II,
New York Times,
10 May 2026
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Who knew that such daring would lead to a film that avoids these inclinations entirely, especially one that could have so easily leaned into controversial territory?—
David Opie,
IndieWire,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
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But over time, these tendencies have taken their toll.—
Charles Trepany,
USA Today,
14 May 2026
-
The movie only hints at the underlying social tendencies that a populist exploits.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
13 May 2026
Noun
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For this class, the premise is that your purpose in life lies to the intersection of your values, your aptitudes and your interests.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
6 May 2026
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This model reflects Japan’s long-standing corporate culture, which prioritizes new hires for their general potential—their aptitudes and aspirations, as opposed to their current skill sets or university majors—and then trains them on the job.—
GRACIA LIU-FARRER,
Foreign Affairs,
18 Nov. 2025
Noun
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While tons of beauty professionals have ties, affinities, and contractual obligations with designer brands, many swear by drugstore or equally accessible products to get their clients star-worthy outcomes.—
Gina Vaynshteyn,
StyleCaster,
11 May 2026
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Its formal and ontological affinities with dysfunction, fragmentation, and violence would seem to render that debt proverbial to the point of cliché.—
Ara H. Merjian,
ARTnews.com,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Predilections.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/predilections. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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