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
-
a specific method of tending to matters, as in business
-
the act or process of transferring something to or providing something for another
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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.
“The disposal of the Russian hygiene entity extricates the company from a business that cast a shadow over its first-quarter results,” the analyst said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
"That's more tariff-as-punishment" and could signal that Washington intends to keep less conventional tools at its disposal, Lipsky said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
He presented as a wealthy pilot, a former Army major who served with Prince Harry, and a man with more than half a million pounds cash at his disposal.
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
It does point out that “very little is known about the history of this deep-ocean disposal, the nature of the wastes, or waste sources.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
While the disposal is running, I try to detour my mind—recite the Constitution, list the presidents in order, remember the names of the seven dwarfs—I can’t stop thinking that she called me.
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.
