disposal

¹ American  

[dih-spoh-zuhl] / dɪˈspoʊ zəl /

noun

1. an act or instance of disposing; arrangement.

   the disposal of the troops.

2. a disposing of or getting rid of something.

   the disposal of waste material.

3. a disposing or allotting of, as by gift or sale; bestowal or assignment.

   She left no will to indicate the disposal of her possessions.

4. power or right to dispose of a thing; control.

   left at his disposal.

   Synonyms:

   management, direction, command

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disposal ² American  

[dih-spoh-zuhl] / dɪˈspoʊ zəl /

noun

1. an electrical device in the drain of a sink, for grinding up garbage to be washed down the drain.

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disposal British  

/ dɪˈspəʊzəl /

noun

1. the act or means of getting rid of something

2. placement or arrangement in a particular order

3. a specific method of tending to matters, as in business

4. the act or process of transferring something to or providing something for another

5. the power or opportunity to make use of someone or something (esp in the phrase at one's disposal )

6. a means of destroying waste products, as by grinding into particles

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disposal Idioms  

1. see put at someone's disposal.

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Etymology

Origin of disposal¹

First recorded in 1620–30; dispose + -al ²

Origin of disposal²

Short for garbage-disposal; see disposal ¹

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Explanation

Disposal means getting rid of something, or throwing it away. When you go on a picnic, be sure to have a bag for the disposal of your trash afterward, or you will be a terrible litterbug. You can use a garbage disposal, a grinder in your sink drain that allows you to wash down certain waste items without causing clogs, for the disposal of vegetable scraps. In addition to meaning "getting rid of something," disposal can also mean "the power or means to accomplish something." If you have a fleet of limousines at your disposal, it's easy to get a large number of guests to a wedding.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

disposal

"We will use every effective tool at our disposal to ensure our roads are safer."

From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026

Consumers have plenty of artificial-intelligence assistants at their disposal that can analyze their spending and optimize their finances.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026

Researchers have proposed that increasing vitamin D2 could therefore increase the disposal of existing 25-hydroxyvitamin D3.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 8, 2026

He starts preparing for winter, ponders his stamp collection, checks the schedule for the garbage disposal and considers mowing the lawn.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026

Mrs. McCullough, she was sure, must have an array of bath products at her disposal: all those lotions and soaps and creams made just for babies, rich with shea butter and almond oil and lavender.

From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng

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Related Words

• clearance
• demolition
• destruction
• disposition
• dumping
• removal
• transfer

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