Definition of "penchant"

Marie even then began the course which, in after-years, secured her so vast an influence in the court,—alternately taking up and laying down her claim to the youthful monarch's penchant; administering to his amusement, and ready to encourage his passing fancies.

1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XXII, in Francesca Carrara. […], volume I, London: Richard Bentley, […], (successor to Henry Colburn), page 264

THE LONDON & NORTH WESTERN RAILWAY. By O. S. Nock. Ian Allan. 30s.[...] One scarcely imagined, for example, that the great steel works at Crewe owed its existence to Sir Richard Moon's penchant for the principle of "Do it yourself", a principle born of a methodical, economical and far-seeing mind.

1960 October, “New reading on railways”, in Trains Illustrated, page 640

I said I've got a penchant for smokes and kicking douches in the mouth / Sadly for you my last cigarette's gone out

2019, Idles, "Never Fight a Man With a Perm", Joy as an Act of Resistance.

Just like Marple, there's a plaque at the London terminus [Paddington] commemorating a fictional character - a polite, friendly little bear from darkest Peru who has a penchant for marmalade sarnies.

2021 September 22, Stephen Roberts, “The writings on the wall...”, in RAIL, number 940, page 74