predilection

/ˌpɹiː.dəˈlɛk.ʃn̩/

//ˌpɹiː.dəˈlɛk.ʃn̩// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"predilection" is a 12-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“predilection” is uncommon English (frequency #51,926 among 4,417 “P” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#51,926
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A condition of favoring or liking; a tendency towards; proclivity; predisposition.

Corpus desk

Index EN-predilection · predilection · English

predilection · rank #51,926 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #51,926
  • LEN-MEGA 12 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH principe

Nearest frequency peer: principe (+1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Frequency neighbourhood for “predilection”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “predilection” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for predilection
PropertyValue
Headwordpredilection
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌpɹiː.dəˈlɛk.ʃn̩/
Letters12
Frequency rank#51,926
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “predilection” sits in English frequency

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).predilectionlands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “principe” (#51,927), “prion” (#51,928), “polarisation” (#51,923). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

predilection is uncommon English at frequency #51,926 among 4,417 “P” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˌpɹiː.dəˈlɛk.ʃn̩/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "A condition of favoring or liking; a tendency towards; proclivity; predisposition.".

No misspelling variants are generated for predilection in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Medieval Latin praedīlēctiō. The correct English form is predilection, spelled P-R-E-D-I-L-E-C-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A condition of favoring or liking; a tendency towards; proclivity; predisposition.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how predilection appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. 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.
  2. 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.

Etymology

Borrowed from Medieval Latin praedīlēctiō.

Synonyms

affinitybagbentcup of coffeecup of joecup of teafancylikingpartialitypenchantpredilectionpredispositionpreferenceproclivitypropensionpropensityshinetastething

Antonyms

aversiondisinclinationindisposition

This word in other languages

predilección(Español)prédilection(Français)Vorliebe(Deutsch)predileção(Português)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "predilection"?
"predilection" is spelled P-R-E-D-I-L-E-C-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌpɹiː.dəˈlɛk.ʃn̩/.
What does "predilection" mean?
As a noun, "predilection" means: A condition of favoring or liking; a tendency towards; proclivity; predisposition.
How do you pronounce "predilection"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "predilection" is /ˌpɹiː.dəˈlɛk.ʃn̩/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "predilection"?
Borrowed from Medieval Latin praedīlēctiō. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "predilection", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 12 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

polarisation#51,923pleasantries#51,922rhododendron#51,954orthodontist#51,892

What to do next

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PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list