Predilection

4 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Predilection \Pre`di*lec"tion\, n. [Pref. pre- + L. dilectus, p.
     p. diligere to prefer: cf. F. pr['e]dilection. See
     {Diligent}.]
     A previous liking; a prepossession of mind in favor of
     something; predisposition to choose or like; partiality.
     --Burke.


     [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  predilection
       n 1: a predisposition in favor of something; "a predilection for
            expensive cars"; "his sexual preferences"; "showed a
            Marxist orientation" [syn: {preference}, {orientation}]
       2: a strong liking; "my own preference is for good literature";
          "the Irish have a penchant for blarney" [syn: {preference},
           {penchant}, {taste}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  105 Moby Thesaurus words for "predilection":
     a thing for, affinity, animus, aptitude, aptness, bag, bent, bias,
     cast, character, chosen kind, conatus, conduciveness, constitution,
     cup of tea, delight, diathesis, disposition, druthers, eagerness,
     eccentricity, fancy, fascination, favor, favoritism, feeling for,
     forejudgment, grain, idiosyncrasy, inclination, inclining,
     individualism, jaundice, jaundiced eye, kidney, leaning, liability,
     liking, make, makeup, mental set, mettle, mind, mind-set, mold,
     mutual affinity, mutual attraction, nature, one-sidedness,
     parti pris, partialism, partiality, particular choice,
     partisanship, penchant, personal choice, preapprehension,
     preconception, preconclusion, preconsideration, predecision,
     predetermination, predisposition, preference, prejudgment,
     prejudication, prejudice, premature judgment, prenotion,
     prepossession, presumption, presupposal, presupposition,
     presurmise, probability, proclivity, proneness, propensity,
     readiness, sensitivity to, set, slant, soft spot, stamp, strain,
     streak, stripe, style, susceptibility, sympathy, taste, temper,
     temperament, tendency, thing, tropism, turn, turn of mind, twist,
     type, undetachment, undispassionateness, warp, weakness,
     willingness
  
  

From THE DEVIL'S DICTIONARY ((C)1911 Released April 15 1993) [devils]:

  PREDILECTION, n.  The preparatory stage of disillusion.