prone
1 Americanadjective
-
having a natural inclination or tendency to something; disposed; liable.
to be prone to anger.
-
having the front or ventral part downward; lying face downward.
-
lying flat; prostrate.
- Synonyms:
- recumbent
-
having a downward direction or slope.
-
having the palm downward, as the hand.
noun
adjective
-
lying flat or face downwards; prostrate
-
sloping or tending downwards
-
having an inclination to do something
combining form
Other Word Forms
- pronely adverb
- proneness noun
Etymology
Origin of prone1
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin prōnus “turned or leaning forward, inclined downward, disposed,” adverb based on prō pro 1 ( def. )
Origin of prone2
First recorded in 1660–70; from French prône “grill, grating (separating chancel from nave),” so called because notices and addresses were delivered there, from Old French prodne, prorne, prosne, by way of a Medieval Latin or Late Latin intermediary such as protinum (unrecorded) from Latin prothyrum “foyer, porch, vestibule,” from Greek próthyron, from pró pro- 2 ( def. ) + thýra “door” ( door ( def. ) )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
For decades, the Arab states of the Persian Gulf sold themselves as an oasis of peace in a region prone to conflict, attracting wealthy expats, multinational corporations and investment.
Companies have said the technology can speed up transactions and save workers' time on routine tasks, but the technology can be prone to hallucinations, causing it to behave unexpectedly.
From BBC
Others questioned how accurate the chat-bot headsets will be, given that AI tools have proven to be prone to errors.
From BBC
Understanding how they influence retreat rates will help scientists better forecast which glaciers might be prone to sudden collapse in the future.
From Science Daily
Bears see this as a safer route than betting against stocks, which are more prone to sudden price spikes that could squeeze their short positions.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
