disposition
Americannoun
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the predominant or prevailing tendency of one's spirits; natural mental and emotional outlook or mood; characteristic attitude.
I'd like to thank the general manager for his hospitality, kindness, and always cheerful disposition.
- Synonyms:
- humor, temperament, makeup, nature
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state of mind regarding something; inclination.
a disposition to gamble.
- Synonyms:
- proclivity, predisposition, tendency, bent
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physical inclination or tendency.
the disposition of ice to melt when heated.
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arrangement or placing, as of troops or buildings.
Strategists came to the conference with divergent views regarding the best disposition of Allied forces.
- Synonyms:
- placement, arrangement, grouping, order
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final settlement of a matter, especially of a legal matter.
The accused was detained for seven months while awaiting disposition of his case.
In the event that we receive a formal complaint, we reserve the right to suspend service pending final disposition of the matter.
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bestowal or transfer of care or ownership, as by a gift, sale, or bequest.
The patient expressed her intentions regarding the disposition of certain pieces of her property upon her death, including the farm scene painting.
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the disposal or discarding of something, or the power to make decisions about use or disposal.
The final decision on the disposition of the deceased's body or remains belongs with the family.
- Synonyms:
- administration
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regulation; management; dispensation.
the disposition of God.
noun
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a person's usual temperament or frame of mind
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a natural or acquired tendency, inclination, or habit in a person or thing
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philosophy logic a property that consists not in the present state of an object, but in its propensity to change in a certain way under certain conditions, as brittleness which consists in the propensity to break when struck Compare occurrent
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archaic manner of placing or arranging
Related Words
Disposition, temper, temperament refer to the aspects and habits of mind and emotion that one displays over a length of time. Disposition is the natural or prevailing aspect of one's mind as shown in behavior and in relationships with others: a happy disposition; a selfish disposition. Temper sometimes denotes the essential quality of one's nature: a glacial temper; usually it has to do with propensity toward anger: an even temper; a quick or hot temper. Temperament refers to the particular balance of emotions determining a person's character: an artistic temperament.
Other Word Forms
- dispositional adjective
- redisposition noun
Etymology
Origin of disposition
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English disposicioun, from Anglo-French or directly from Latin dispositiōn- (stem of dispositiō ), equivalent to disposit(us) (past participle of dispōnere “to distribute”; dispos- ( dispose ) + -itus past participle suffix) + -iōn- -ion
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
What did the people in your life make of that disposition?
From Los Angeles Times
This divine disposition isn’t daydreaming, which sees only the small in the big.
An artist who was often described to have a nomadic and bohemian disposition, he dabbled seamlessly with Cubist-inspired modernism and traditional Indian themes, creating bold and vibrant canvases with scenes from history and mythology.
From BBC
Hassona’s face becomes so familiar to us, we can tell when her cheery disposition is hard to maintain.
From Los Angeles Times
I met him several times, notably on the set of Mr. Cameron’s “Avatar,” which would be irrelevant here if Landau hadn’t brought his own disposition into the conversation.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
