Lewis & Short

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.

  1. I. Lit. (rare; not in Cic. or Cæs.: solum, Varr. R. R. 2, 2, 7: per proclivem viam duci, Liv. 35, 30: omnia procliva sunt; facile descenditur, Sen. Apoc. 13.
    Subst.: prō-clīve, 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.
  2. II. Trop.
    1. 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, App. Fl. 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.
    2. 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.
          1. (α) With ad: ingenium Hominum proclive ad lubidinem, Ter. And. 1, 1, 50: 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.
          2. (β) With dat. (poet.): sceleri proclivis egestas, Sil. 13, 585.
          3. (γ) With circa (post-Aug.): eritque judex circa modestiam juris probatione proclivior, Quint. 4, 5, 21.
    3. 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.
      1. 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. 4, 2, 18: 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).
    1. 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.
    2. B. Easily: facile et procliviter persuadere, Castric. ap. Gell. 1, 6, 6.
      Comp.: multo proclivius, Lucr. 2, 792.