/ prəʊn; NAmE proʊn/ adjective
1.
prone to sth / to do sth likely to suffer from sth or to do sth bad
SYN liable :
prone to injury
Working without a break makes you more prone to error.
Tired drivers were found to be particularly prone to ignore warning signs.
2.
-prone (in adjectives) likely to suffer or do the thing mentioned :
error-prone
injury-prone
—see also accident-prone
3.
( formal ) lying flat with the front of your body touching the ground
SYN prostrate :
The victim lay prone without moving.
He was found lying in a prone position.
—compare supine
► prone·ness / ˈprəʊnnəs; NAmE ˈproʊn-/ noun [ U ]:
proneness to depression
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WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English : from Latin pronus leaning forward, from pro forwards.