partiality; liking; preference
A somewhat formal or literary term for a personal inclination or fondness toward something. Often used in written or intellectual contexts.
He has a partiality for sweets.
The critic shows a preference for a particular author.
Compound of 偏 (へん, 'biased, leaning') and 好 (こう, 'liking'). The reading is on'yomi. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word follows a standard Sino-Japanese word-formation pattern.