prōclīvis, e (ante- and post-class. and poet.; collat. form prōclīvus, a, um, Plaut. Mil. 4, 2, 27; Varr. R. R. 2, 2, 7; Cat. 64, 270; Front. Strat. 2, 2, 2; v. Neue, Formenl. 2, p. 91), adj. [proclivus], sloping, steep, going downwards or downhill.
I Lit. (rare; not in Cic. or Caes.: solum, Varr. R. R. 2, 2, 7: per proclivem viam duci, Liv. 35, 30: omnia procliva sunt; facile descenditur, Sen. Apoc. 13.—Subst.: prōclīve , is (or prōclīvum , i), n., a slope , descent , declivity : pelli per proclive, downhill , downwards , Liv. 5, 43, 2: adjuvante proclivo impetum militum, Front. Strat. 2, 2, 2 (al. proclivio): in proclive detrudi, Auct. B. Alex. 76: per proclivia devolare, Col. 9, 5, 1.—Of persons, going downwards or downhill (poet.), Claud. III. Cons. Honor. 178.—
II Trop.
A Downwards , descending , downhill , declining (rare but class.): proclivi cursu et facili delabi, Cic. Rep. 1, 28, 44: jam proclivi senectute, declining , drawing to a close , Ap. Flor. 4, p. 361; cf.: Junius mensis est jam proclivus in Julium, Sen. Ep. 86, 16.— Absol. : proclivi currit oratio, flows precipitately , Cic. Fin. 5, 28, 84; v. Madv. ad h. l.—
B Inclined or disposed to a thing, liable , prone , subject; ready , willing (freq. and class.; mostly in a bad sense; cf. Cic. Tusc. 4, 12, 27, s. v. proclivitas; syn. propensus); constr. usually ad aliquid , more rarely with dat. or circa.
α With ad : ingenium Hominum proclive ad lubidinem, Ter. And. 77: ad aliquem morbum proclivior, Cic. Tusc. 4, 37, 81: ergo et invidi et malevoli...quia proclives ad eas perturbationes, id. ib. 4, 12, 28: amicitia debet esse ad omnem comitatem facilitatemque proclivior, id. Lael. 18, 66.—
β With dat. (poet.): sceleri proclivis egestas, Sil. 13, 585.—
γ With circa (post-Aug.): eritque judex circa modestiam juris probatione proclivior, Quint. 4, 5, 21.—
C Steep , unsafe , untrustworthy; and hence, obscure , unintelligible : fecisti modo mi ex proclivo planum, you make it plain , Plaut. Mil. 4, 2, 28: faciam hanc rem planam ex proclivā tibi, id. Rud. 4, 4, 90: nam iste proclive'st quod jubes me plane conlocare, id. As. 3, 3, 73.—
2 Transf., easy to be done: proclivia anteponuntur laboriosis, Cic. Top. 18, 69: illa facilia, proclivia, jucunda, id. Part. 27, 95: ut fingendi proclivis esset ratio, id. Rep. 2, 10, 17: proclivus impetus, Lucr. 6, 728: cum proclivior faciliorque jactus sit ex supernis in infima, Gell. 9, 1, 2: dictu quidem est proclive, easy to be said , Cic. Off. 2, 20, 69: quod est multo proclivius, much easier , id. Rep. 1, 6, 11.— Absol. : in proclivi, easy : tam hoc quidem tibi in proclivi, quam imber est, quando pluit, as easy , Plaut. Capt. 2, 2, 86: id. faciam, in proclivi quod est, Ter. And. 701: alia omnia in proclivi erunt, will be easy , Sall. Or. ad Caes. 2, 8; v. planum.—Hence, adv., in two forms, prōclīvē and prō-clīvĭter (cf. Gell. 10, 24; Macr. S. 1, 4).
A Downwards : proclive labuntur, rush downwards , Cic. Tusc. 4, 18, 42 Kühn. and Moser N. cr. (B. and K. proclivi); Lucr. 2, 455 Lachm.; cf. sublime ferri, under sublimis.— Comp. : labi verba proclivius, i. e. more rapidly , Cic. Or. 57, 191; cf.: quin proclivius hic iras decurrat ad acris, Lucr. 3, 311.—
B Easily : facile et procliviter persuadere, Castric. ap. Gell. 1, 6, 6.— Comp. : multo proclivius, Lucr. 2, 792.