dispose

[dih-spohz]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR dispose ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), dis·posed, dis·pos·ing.

to give a tendency or inclination to; incline: His temperament disposed him to argue readily with people.

to put in a particular or the proper order or arrangement; adjust by arranging the parts.

to put in a particular or suitable place: The lamp was disposed on a table nearby.

to make fit or ready; prepare: Your words of cheer dispose me for the task.

verb (used without object), dis·posed, dis·pos·ing.

to arrange or decide matters: to do as God disposes.

Obsolete. to make terms.

noun

Archaic. disposition; habit.

Obsolete. arrangement; regulation; disposal.

Verb Phrases

dispose of,

to deal with conclusively; settle.
to get rid of; discard.
to transfer or give away, as by gift or sale.
to do away with; destroy.

Origin of dispose

1300–50; Middle English < Middle French disposer, equivalent to dis- dis-¹ + poser to place (see pose¹), on the model of Latin dispōnere

Related formsdis·pos·ing·ly, adverbre·dis·pose, verb (used with object), re·dis·posed, re·dis·pos·ing.

Can be confuseddispose disperse

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for dispose

adapt, predispose, incline, tempt, set, prompt, distribute, actuate, rank, organize, bend, determine, array, regulate, group, prepare, fix, motivate, bias, adjust

Examples from the Web for dispose

Contemporary Examples of dispose

Nothing much to use in cleaning up the baby and his mother after the birth, no place to dispose of the placenta.
Jesus Wasn’t Born Rich. Think About It.
Gene Robinson
December 25, 2014
The Jewish Week reported that sources said Hynes was expected to dispose of the case with a lenient plea deal.
The Orthodox Sex Abuse Crackdown That Wasn’t
Emily Shire
October 7, 2014
And with so many pigs dying, farms have been challenged to try to find hygienic ways to dispose of the carcasses.
Aporkalypse Now: Pig-Killing Virus Could Mean the End of Bacon
Carrie Arnold
August 20, 2014
He wanted to make sure that he had the maximum amount of time to attack his victim and dispose of her body.
A Serial Killer on the Loose in Nazi Berlin
Scott Andrew Selby
January 11, 2014
The Japanese team then folded, allowing Rong Guotuan quickly to dispose of his last opponent.
How to Hide a Famine with Ping-Pong
Nicholas Griffin
January 9, 2014

Historical Examples of dispose

He was very glad to earn money in this way, since it seemed he was to have no fish to dispose of.
Brave and Bold
Horatio Alger
These are the property of peasant-owners, who dispose of their crops here and at Langogne.
The Roof of France
Matilda Betham-Edwards
Let him dispose of his money as he likes, as long as he does not dispose of my heart in the same way.
The Imaginary Invalid
Molire
Away he posted directly to an attorney's who was empowered to dispose of the land.
Tales And Novels, Volume 4 (of 10)
Maria Edgeworth
It was disposed of, for its good, as one might dispose of a child.
The Three Cities Trilogy, Complete
Emile Zola

British Dictionary definitions for dispose

dispose

verb

(intr foll by of)

to deal with or settle
to give, sell, or transfer to another
to throw out or away
to consume, esp hurriedly
to kill

to arrange or settle (matters) by placing into correct or final conditionman proposes, God disposes

(tr) to make willing or receptive

(tr) to adjust or place in a certain order or position

(tr often foll by to) to accustom or condition

noun

an obsolete word for disposal, disposition

Derived Formsdisposer, noun

Word Origin for dispose

C14: from Old French disposer, from Latin dispōnere to set in different places, arrange, from dis- 1 + pōnere to place

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for dispose

late 14c., from Old French disposer (13c.) "arrange, order, control, regulate" (influenced in form by poser "to place"), from Latin disponere "put in order, arrange, distribute," from dis- "apart" (see dis-) + ponere "to put, place" (see position). Related: Disposed; disposing.