predispose

[ pree-di-spohz ]
See synonyms for: predisposepredisposedpredisposing on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),pre·dis·posed, pre·dis·pos·ing.
  1. to give an inclination or tendency to beforehand; make susceptible: Genetic factors may predispose human beings to certain metabolic diseases.

  2. to render subject, susceptible, or liable: The evidence predisposes him to public censure.

  1. to dispose beforehand.

  2. Archaic. to dispose of beforehand, as in a will, legacy, or the like.

verb (used without object),pre·dis·posed, pre·dis·pos·ing.
  1. to give or furnish a tendency or inclination: an underground job that predisposes to lung infection.

Origin of predispose

1
First recorded in 1640–50; pre- + dispose

Other words for predispose

Other words from predispose

  • pre·dis·pos·al, noun
  • un·pre·dis·pos·ing, adjective

Words Nearby predispose

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use predispose in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for predispose

predispose

/ (ˌpriːdɪˈspəʊz) /


verb(tr)
  1. (often foll by to or towards) to incline or make (someone) susceptible to something beforehand

  2. mainly law to dispose of (property, etc) beforehand; bequeath

Derived forms of predispose

  • predisposal, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012