What does prone mean?
“Prone” means likely or inclined to experience, do, or suffer something, usually with an undesirable result. Its commonest pattern is “prone to” followed by a noun or gerund: “prone to error,” “prone to anger,” or “prone to forgetting.” The word often describes a persistent tendency rather than a single deliberate action, making it useful in discussion of risks, weaknesses, medical conditions, and human behaviour. It can also mean lying with the front of the body toward the ground, as in “the runner lay prone,” although this sense is less frequent in everyday use. In contemporary English, “prone” generally carries a negative or cautionary connotation, though it is not always used that way. Its Latin ancestor, pronus, originally described a person leaning or falling forward, which explains the connection between the modern idea of inclination and the older physical sense.
Likely or inclined to do something, especially something undesirable; also, lying with the front of the body facing downward.
"The species is prone to migrating when temperatures begin to rise."
The modern sense normally takes “to”: “prone to error.” The physical sense of lying face downward is less common and more formal.
To make or lay something in a face-down position.
"The command instructed the soldiers to prone themselves on the ground."
This verb form is archaic and uncommon in modern English.
To be “prone to” something is to be naturally inclined to fall into it—especially a mistake.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does prone come from?
The word comes through late Middle English from Old French prone, ultimately from Latin pronus, meaning “leaning forward” or “inclined.” The Latin term was associated with the image of falling or leaning forward, while the English adjective developed its sense of being inclined to an action and its older sense of lying face downward. The verb “prone,” now archaic or uncommon, developed from the physical sense of laying or making something face downward.
Related word forms
How prone is actually used
In its dominant modern sense, “prone to” usually has an undesirable or cautionary implication. The expression “prone to” is standard, but the adjective can also stand alone, as in “The building is earthquake-prone.” The sense meaning lying face downward is formal and occurs especially in medical, military, or descriptive contexts.