Showing results for "predisposed"

• past participle of predispose.
• past tense form of predispose.

predisposed

American  

[pree-di-spohzd] / ˌpri dɪˈspoʊzd /

adjective

1. having or showing an inclination or tendency toward a specified condition, opinion, behavior, etc., beforehand.

   Many studies show how genes interact with the environment to cause disease in predisposed individuals.

   The novel is skillfully written, but in a style that requires close reading and a predisposed reader.

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verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of predispose.

Other Word Forms

• predisposedness
  noun
• unpredisposed
  adjective
• predisposedly
  adverb

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Etymology

Origin of predisposed

predispose ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

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Explanation

If you’re predisposed to something, you’re heading in that direction already — you already have a tendency to develop it. Your medical history or your habits could make you predisposed to a condition, like high blood pressure, or chocolate addiction. Predisposed often describes medical conditions, but it can refer to any tendency. You might be predisposed to a pessimistic outlook. You’re probably predisposed to like someone one of your friends likes. Or you could be predisposed to act in a certain way. If you’re really proud of your dad’s work as a lawyer, you might be predisposed to become a lawyer yourself.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

predisposed

Certain breeds are predisposed to heart or orthopedic issues, for example, that can be expensive to treat.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026

Among participants assigned to the low-carb diet, those who were genetically predisposed to higher LDL cholesterol were more likely to experience an increase.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 26, 2026

What's more, With Love, Meghan was never going to change opinions of those who are already, for whatever reason, predisposed against her - just as her new podcast series is unlikely to.

From BBC ● Apr. 6, 2025

Wojcicki said inquiries poured into 23andMe in 2015 after actor Angelina Jolie disclosed that she’d undergone a precautionary double mastectomy upon learning she carried a gene that predisposed her to breast cancer.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 26, 2025

These same internal stirrings also predisposed him to regard all perfectly symmetrical narratives or stories preaching an obvious moral message and populated by larger-than-life heroes as utter fabrications.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

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