prone

¹

[ prohn ]

adjective

1. having a natural inclination or tendency to something; disposed; liable:

   to be prone to anger.

   Synonyms: subject, apt

2. having the front or ventral part downward; lying face downward.
3. lying flat; prostrate.

   Synonyms: recumbent

4. having a downward direction or slope.
5. having the palm downward, as the hand.

prone

²

[ prohn ]

noun

1. a sermon or a brief hortatory introduction to a sermon, usually delivered at a service at which the Eucharist is celebrated.

prone

¹

/ prəʊn /

adjective

1. lying flat or face downwards; prostrate
2. sloping or tending downwards
3. having an inclination to do something

-prone

²

combining form

1. liable or disposed to suffer

   accident-prone

Derived Forms

• ˈpronely, adverb
• ˈproneness, noun

Other Words From

• pronely adverb
• proneness noun

Word History and Origins

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 ) )

Word History and Origins

Origin of prone¹

C14: from Latin prōnus bent forward, from pro- ¹

Example Sentences

History has shown that this part of Southern California is prone to major fires, given its susceptibility to intense Santa Ana winds in the fall and winter that hit when the landscape is often its driest.

From Los Angeles Times

Typically, fires make an area less prone to another fire soon after, since they burn up much of the most flammable fuels, which can take many years to grow back.

From Los Angeles Times

City officials expressed fear that Trump, a mercurial leader prone to grudges, would retaliate against California and Los Angeles because of its Democratic leadership.

From Los Angeles Times

“That’s not a democracy,” Rodriguez, whose San Fernando Valley district includes areas that are prone to wildfires, said Tuesday night.

From Los Angeles Times

California is a state that is prone to wildfires.

From BBC

Related Words

• apt
• devoted
• exposed
• inclined
• ready
• sensitive
• susceptible
• willing