A strong or habitual liking for something; an inclination or tendency.
From French penchant, present participle of pencher (to lean, incline), from Latin pendere (to hang). The word entered English in the 17th century, carrying the metaphor of 'leaning toward' something you favor.
The beautiful thing about 'penchant' is how it captures the physics of preference - we literally 'lean into' things we're drawn to. French kept this lovely spatial metaphor alive, giving us a word that feels more sophisticated than simple 'liking' while maintaining that sense of gravitational pull toward our desires.
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