temperament

American  

[tem-per-uh-muhnt, -pruh-muhnt, -per-muhnt] / ˈtɛm pər ə mənt, -prə mənt, -pər mənt /

noun

1. the combination of mental, physical, and emotional traits of a person; natural predisposition.

   Synonyms:

   makeup, nature

2. unusual personal attitude or nature as manifested by peculiarities of feeling, temper, action, etc., often with a disinclination to submit to conventional rules or restraints.

3. (old physiology) the combination of the four cardinal humors, the relative proportions of which were supposed to determine physical and mental constitution.

4. Music.

   1. the tuning of a keyboard instrument, as the piano, organ, or harpsichord, so that the instrument may be played in all keys without further tuning.

   2. a particular system of doing this.

5. Archaic. an act of tempering or moderating.

6. Archaic. climate.

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temperament British  

/ -prəmənt, ˈtɛmpərəmənt /

noun

1. an individual's character, disposition, and tendencies as revealed in his reactions

2. excitability, moodiness, or anger, esp when displayed openly

   an actress with temperament

3. the characteristic way an individual behaves, esp towards other people See also character personality

4. 1. an adjustment made to the frequency differences between notes on a keyboard instrument to allow modulation to other keys

   2. any of several systems of such adjustment, such as just temperament, a system not practically possible on keyboard instruments, mean-tone temperament, a system giving an approximation to natural tuning, and equal temperament, the system commonly used in keyboard instruments, giving a scale based on an octave divided into twelve exactly equal semitones See also just intonation

5. obsolete the characteristic way an individual behaves, viewed as the result of the influence of the four humours (blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile)

6. archaic compromise or adjustment

7. an obsolete word for temperature

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Synonym Usage

See disposition.

Etymology

Origin of temperament

1375–1425; late Middle English < Latin temperāmentum due mixture, equivalent to temperā ( re ) to mix properly + -mentum -ment

Explanation

While a mood can change, your temperament is your overall tone most of the time. Just like dogs, people have temperaments: some are aggressive; some are playful; and some are just happy to carry your slippers. Just as a temperature gives a reading of how hot or cold something is, your temperament gives a reading of your disposition, or general outlook. Some folks with optimistic temperaments see that glass as half full; other more pessimistic folks see it as half empty. And there are still others who prefer to drink straight from the bottle.

Example Sentences

Temperament remains the most mispriced asset: Buffett never claimed to be the smartest person in the room.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 29, 2025

A new test on the scene, Helen Fisher’s Temperament Inventory, identifies whether you’re a testosterone, dopamine, estrogen or serotonin, purportedly in the name of love.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 1, 2019

The Humm-Wadsworth Temperament Scale, a popular personality indicator from 1935 that sorted people into five different types, drew on the novels of Dostoyevsky and Flaubert.

From Washington Post • Sep. 20, 2018

Temperament wise, they are two and three year olds.

From Washington Times • Jan. 3, 2016

They are created from the most ‘natural’ ratios, even taking into account the distorting fix of Equal Temperament.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall

Related Words

• attitude
• ego
• humor
• idiosyncrasy
• inclination
• individuality
• intellect
• mentality
• mettle
• mood
• nature
• outlook
• quality
• spirit
• tendency