penchant

Penchant is a strong or habitual liking for something or a tendency to do something regularly. It conveys a noticeable preference or inclination that tends to persist over time, rather than a single, casual interest. The word is commonly used to discuss tastes, activities, or patterns of behavior in personal or professional contexts.

The term comes from the French penchant, from pencher “to incline,” itself from Latin pendere “to weigh” or “to hang.” It entered English in the 17th century and has since carried the sense of an enduring leaning rather than a momentary preference. Related terms include proclivity, predilection, and leaning; while all denote inclination, penchant often implies a distinctive or somewhat whimsical taste.

Usage notes: The common construction is “a penchant for/ toward” followed by a noun or gerund (for example, “a penchant for classic literature”). It can be used positively or negatively depending on context: “She has a penchant for meticulous detail” or “He developed a dangerous penchant for taking risks.” The nuance is that a penchant suggests a characteristic pattern or habit, rather than a one-off choice. In formal or literary writing, it is often used to describe a person’s consistent or defining tastes.