predispose

American  

[pree-di-spohz] / ˌpri dɪˈspoʊz /

verb (used with object)

• predisposes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• predisposed,
  past participle,  past
• predisposing
  present participle

1. to give an inclination or tendency to beforehand; make susceptible.

   Genetic factors may predispose human beings to certain metabolic diseases.

   Synonyms:

   prepare, prearrange

2. to render subject, susceptible, or liable.

   The evidence predisposes him to public censure.

3. to dispose beforehand.

   Synonyms:

   incline, bias

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

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verb (used without object)

• predisposes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• predisposed,
  past participle,  past
• predisposing
  present participle

1. to give or furnish a tendency or inclination.

   an underground job that predisposes to lung infection.

predispose British  

/ ˌpriːdɪˈspəʊz /

verb

1. to incline or make (someone) susceptible to something beforehand

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

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• predisposal
  noun
• unpredisposing
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• predisposing
  present
• predisposed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• predispose
  simple
• predisposes
  simple
• have predisposed
  perfect
• has predisposed
  perfect
• am predisposing
  progressive
• are predisposing
  progressive
• is predisposing
  progressive
• have been predisposing
  perfect progressive
• has been predisposing
  perfect progressive

Past

• predisposed
  simple
• had predisposed
  perfect
• was predisposing
  progressive
• were predisposing
  progressive
• had been predisposing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will predispose
  simple
• will have predisposed
  perfect
• will be predisposing
  progressive
• will have been predisposing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of predispose

First recorded in 1640–50; pre- + dispose

Explanation

Predispose means to have a tendency toward something. Some people believe that just being born in Canada will predispose you to love ice hockey. Many situations or events can predispose you to have a particular reaction, opinion, or feeling. Being bitten by a dog as a child could predispose you to having a fear of dogs. Having ancestors with great athletic ability might predispose you to enjoy running. If you want to predispose your father to liking your new boyfriend, be sure to tell him about volunteering at the food bank and leave out the bits about his arrest and dropping out of school.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

predispose predisposes predisposed predisposing

Recognizing this, some oncologists have begun administering drugs with restraint rather than abandon, aiming to keep the cancer in check rather than creating conditions that predispose to the rapid growth of resistant cells.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 20, 2026

"The whole team undertakes a standardized warm-up that addresses a number of physical concerns that predispose our female athletes to ACLs," she said.

From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2025

Their goal was to pinpoint what biological conditions might predispose some people to the problem.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 12, 2025

Nothing in her environment would predispose her to cancer, except for being in close proximity to the fires.

From Slate ● Jan. 16, 2025

Attitudes such as these certainly predispose one to innumeracy.

From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos

Nor does it hurt that the extraordinary popularity of the Harry Potter movies predisposes much of the audience to sympathy and affection.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 13, 2026

Studies show that adding sugar to any food for babies or small children predisposes them to having a sweet tooth.

From Salon ● Apr. 25, 2024

This predisposes them to developing the disease but in itself is not symptomatic.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 22, 2024

Perhaps spending a premium to see a movie in person, and planning ahead, predisposes people to savor the experience.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 1, 2023

It seems certain that animal food predisposes to disease.

From Vegetable Diet: As Sanctioned by Medical Men, and by Experience in All Ages Including a System of Vegetable Cookery by William A. (William Andrus) Alcott

When that fan base is predisposed to wanting to stick it to the man, it’s not a tough sell.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026

"This situation could lead to many of the students ending up in a vulnerable situation and predisposed to being further exploited financially or otherwise," Juho Sillanpää, who is leading the investigation, told the BBC.

From BBC ● Jun. 12, 2026

I have no predisposed notion on what goes into the inspection report.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 8, 2025

And to be fair, that’s not a bad courtroom strategy against an opponent who is almost pathologically predisposed to putting his foot in his mouth.

From Salon ● Mar. 1, 2025

With the secret and implacable labor of a small ant she predisposed the women of the village against the flightiness of their husbands, who were already preparing for the move.

From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Selenium itself is an oxidant, but in low doses it activates responses in a controlled manner, predisposing the body to better defense.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 30, 2023

Which predisposing conditions the person was diagnosed with.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 23, 2022

Many species of Sorbus have a small population size, predisposing them to threatening events.

From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2021

“Climate change is predisposing the fuels into drier conditions,” Stephens said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2020

Was there anything about the Chinese environment predisposing toward Confucian philosophy and cultural conservatism, which may also have profoundly affected history?

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Related Words

• dispose
• incline