propensity

propensity pro‧pen‧si‧ty [prəˈpensti] noun propensities _PLURALFORM [countable]

1. a tendency to behave in a particular way:

• The plastic-bodied car's propensity to catch fire killed demand.

2. marginal propensity to consume ECONOMICS the relationship between a change in people's income and the change in the amount that they spend on goods:

• The marginal propensity to consume is 0.8, because for every £10 million rise in income, consumption rises by £8 million, and the marginal propensity to save is 0.2.

3. marginal propensity to import ECONOMICS the relationship between a change in people's income in a country, and the change in the amount that the country imports:

• The marginal propensity to import is 0.2, so that for every £10 million rise in income, spending on imports rises by £2 million.

4. marginal propensity to save ECONOMICS when there is a change in people's income, the change in the amount that they save in relation to the amount they spend

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propensity UK US /prəʊˈpensəti/ US  /prəˈpensəti/ noun [S]

► if someone has a propensity to behave in a particular way or prefer a particular thing, they are likely to behave in that way or like that thing: »

Low fares are increasing people's propensity to travel further to an airport.

a propensity for sth »

The senior management in our company does not have a great propensity for change.

→ See also MARGINAL PROPENSITY TO CONSUME(Cf. ↑marginal propensity to consume), MARGINAL PROPENSITY TO IMPORT(Cf. ↑marginal propensity to import), MARGINAL PROPENSITY TO SAVE(Cf. ↑marginal propensity to save)