Etymograph

English

predilection

Predilection comes from Medieval Latin praedīlēctiō ‘predilection, tendency, proclivity’, from Latin praedīligō ‘to prefer or love greatly’, and ultimately from dīligō.

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdīligō1‘to esteem, love’
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpraedīligō2‘to prefer or love greatly’
  3. Medieval Latinc. 600–1500praedīlēctiō3‘predilection, tendency, proclivity’
  4. Englishearliest quotation 1834predilection3

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Latin praediligo
  2. 2 Wiktionary, Latin praedilectio
  3. 3 Wiktionary, English predilection
  4. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1834, Letitia Elizabeth Landon, London: Richard Bentley: “The young King looked tenderly at Mademoiselle Mancini, who…”.

Lineage

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdīligōWiktionary, Latin praediligo‘to esteem, love’
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpraedīligōWiktionary, Latin praedilectio‘to prefer or love greatly’
  3. Medieval Latinc. 600–1500praedīlēctiōWiktionary, English predilection‘predilection, tendency, proclivity’
  4. Englishearliest quotation 1834predilectionWiktionary, English predilection. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1834, Letitia Elizabeth Landon, London: Richard Bentley: “The young King looked tenderly at Mademoiselle Mancini, who…”

Linked words

through Latin dīligō ‘to esteem, love’

diligence, diligent, 3 more

Today it means

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

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “predilection”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entries for Latin praediligo, Latin praedilectio. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Latin dīligō / predilection

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