disposal
1 Americannoun
-
an act or instance of disposing; arrangement.
the disposal of the troops.
-
a disposing of or getting rid of something.
the disposal of waste material.
-
a disposing or allotting of, as by gift or sale; bestowal or assignment.
She left no will to indicate the disposal of her possessions.
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power or right to dispose of a thing; control.
left at his disposal.
- Synonyms:
- management, direction, command
noun
noun
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the act or means of getting rid of something
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placement or arrangement in a particular order
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a specific method of tending to matters, as in business
-
the act or process of transferring something to or providing something for another
-
the power or opportunity to make use of someone or something (esp in the phrase at one's disposal )
-
a means of destroying waste products, as by grinding into particles
Etymology
Origin of disposal1
First recorded in 1620–30; dispose + -al 2
Origin of disposal2
Short for garbage-disposal; see disposal 1
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.
Vocabulary lists containing disposal
And Then There Were None
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Beowulf vocabulary
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Prisoner B-3087
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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.
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
Scott's emergence showed the array of riches Tuchel has at his disposal in the central midfield area, even with Arsenal's Declan Rice, a fixture in the team, out as his load is managed after injury.
From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026
Insurance companies determined fraternities had become such a risk they were ranked “just behind hazardous waste disposal companies and asbestos contractors,” according to the lawsuit filed against the Cornell fraternity brothers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 3, 2026
If I weren’t so tired, I’d shove trust and issue down the garbage disposal and let it run all day.
From "Wintergirls" by Laurie Halse Anderson
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.
