What is the Latin word for propensity?

The usual Latin words for “propensity” are prōclīvitās, acerbitās, vīnolentia; also vīnolentus, prōdigō, prōdigus. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“propensity” in Latin

prōclīvitāssteep descent; tendency, proneness, disposition, propensity acerbitāssourness of taste, with bitterness and astringency, like that of unripe fruit; harshness, severity; sorrow vīnolentiawine-drinking; intoxication with wine vīnolentusaffected by or with wine; drunk, intoxicated prōdigōto squander, waste; to use up, consume; to drive forth prōdiguswasteful, lavish, prodigal

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

propensity

proclivitas; animus proclivis or propensus ad aliquid; libido alicujus rei. Propensity to satire, acerbitas (as a trait of character; Quint., 10, 1, 117). ☞ The Latins also frequently denote it in compound words by the termination -entia, and the person possessing the propensity by -entus; e.g., propensity to drinking wine, vinolentia; one who has such propensity, vinolentus: propensity to extravagance, prodigentia (Tac., Ann., 6, 14, 1); one that has such propensity, prodigus: to have a propensity to anything, non alienum esse a re (in a good sense): pronum esse ad aliquid or in aliquid (in classical Latin only in a bad sense; not as Suet., Ner., 52, pronum esse ad poeticam). Vid: INCLINATION.

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for propensity?: The usual Latin words for “propensity” are prōclīvitās, acerbitās, vīnolentia; also vīnolentus, prōdigō, prōdigus. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.