predilection

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See also: prédilection

English

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WOTD – 8 September 2007

Alternative forms

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Etymology

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Borrowed from Medieval Latin praedīlēctiō.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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predilection (countable and uncountable, plural predilections)

  1. A condition of favoring or liking; a tendency towards; proclivity; predisposition.
    • 1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XIX, in Francesca Carrara. […], volume I, London: Richard Bentley, […], (successor to Henry Colburn), →OCLC, page 219:
      The young King looked tenderly at Mademoiselle Mancini, who gave him a glance quite as tender in return—not, however, unobserved. His mother had been for some time past a displeased spectator of a predilection which might become dangerous.
    • 1941 November, “Notes and News: American Tank Locomotives”, in Railway Magazine, page 523:
      American operating practice aims at the minimum wastage of time by locomotives at water columns and coal stages, and this predilection for shunters with high capacity tenders is thereby explained.
    • 1961 November 10, Joseph Heller, “Lieutenant Scheisskopf”, in Catch-22 […], New York, N.Y.: Simon and Schuster, →OCLC, page 66:
      It was an illusion, of course, generated by Clevinger's predilection for staring fixedly at one side of a question and never seeing the other side at all.
    • 1962 April, “Talking of Trains: From guided weapons to the B.T.C.”, in Modern Railways, page 221:
      The appointment as Member of the B.T.C. with "special responsibility for railway workshops" of Sir Steuart Mitchell is in accordance with Mr. Marples' predilection for non-railwaymen in the highest posts.
    • 1967, Flann O’Brien, chapter 2, in The Third Policeman:
      A row of houses he regards as a row of necessary evils. The softening and degeneration of the human race he attributes to its progressive predilection for interiors and waning interest in the art of going out and staying there.
    • 1987 June 29, Edwin M. Yoder Jr., “Lewis Powell a Fine Sense of Balance”, in Washington Post:
      But for him the first rule of judging was to set aside personal predilection and vote the law and the facts.
    • 2000 October 23, Terry McCarthy, “Lost Generation”, in Time Asia:
      ... youth’s predilection for revolt.
    • 2001 March 13, Marina Cantacuzino, “On deadly ground”, in The Guardian:
      Wilson doesn’t see any inconsistency between his socialism and his predilection for the high life.

Synonyms

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Translations

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References

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