predispose
Americanverb (used with object)
-
predisposes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
predisposed,
past participle, past
-
predisposing
present participle
-
to give an inclination or tendency to beforehand; make susceptible.
Genetic factors may predispose human beings to certain metabolic diseases.
- Synonyms:
- prepare, prearrange
-
to render subject, susceptible, or liable.
The evidence predisposes him to public censure.
-
to dispose beforehand.
-
Archaic. to dispose of beforehand, as in a will, legacy, or the like.
verb (used without object)
-
predisposes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
predisposed,
past participle, past
-
predisposing
present participle
verb
-
to incline or make (someone) susceptible to something beforehand
-
law to dispose of (property, etc) beforehand; bequeath
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
predisposesimple
-
predisposessimple
-
have predisposedperfect
-
has predisposedperfect
-
am predisposingprogressive
-
are predisposingprogressive
-
is predisposingprogressive
-
have been predisposingperfect progressive
-
has been predisposingperfect progressive
Past
-
predisposedsimple
-
had predisposedperfect
-
was predisposingprogressive
-
were predisposingprogressive
-
had been predisposingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of predispose
Explanation
Predispose means to have a tendency toward something. Some people believe that just being born in Canada will predispose you to love ice hockey. Many situations or events can predispose you to have a particular reaction, opinion, or feeling. Being bitten by a dog as a child could predispose you to having a fear of dogs. Having ancestors with great athletic ability might predispose you to enjoy running. If you want to predispose your father to liking your new boyfriend, be sure to tell him about volunteering at the food bank and leave out the bits about his arrest and dropping out of school.
Vocabulary lists containing predispose
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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.
See Examples For:
Research by UC San Francisco’s Sharon suggests migraine headaches predispose people to BPPV, by causing crystals to dislodge from their normal location.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 15, 2026
"The whole team undertakes a standardized warm-up that addresses a number of physical concerns that predispose our female athletes to ACLs," she said.
From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2025
In fact, his real interest was in “all aspects of the environment in which infection transmission occurs and the environmental conditions that predispose to all manner of human disease,” as infectious disease researchers write.
From Salon ● Feb. 21, 2025
Nothing in her environment would predispose her to cancer, except for being in close proximity to the fires.
From Slate ● Jan. 16, 2025
Attitudes such as these certainly predispose one to innumeracy.
From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos
Nor does it hurt that the extraordinary popularity of the Harry Potter movies predisposes much of the audience to sympathy and affection.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 13, 2026
This predisposes them to developing the disease but in itself is not symptomatic.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 22, 2024
Perhaps spending a premium to see a movie in person, and planning ahead, predisposes people to savor the experience.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 1, 2023
"Pollutants make you more allergic in general and this can trigger eczema, being an allergic individual predisposes you to developing eczema compared with a non-allergic person."
From Salon ● Jun. 3, 2023
Of course, not all tip-takers sell their votes; but the moral laxity in one direction predisposes toward laxity in other directions.
From The Itching Palm A Study of the Habit of Tipping in America by William R Scott
Certain breeds are predisposed to heart or orthopedic issues, for example, that can be expensive to treat.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026
When that fan base is predisposed to wanting to stick it to the man, it’s not a tough sell.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026
"Exosomes are used to communicate with and activate surrounding cells, and we have now identified a defect in both the production and the quality of exosomes in cells that we know are predisposed to Alzheimer's."
From Science Daily ● Nov. 25, 2025
What's more, With Love, Meghan was never going to change opinions of those who are already, for whatever reason, predisposed against her - just as her new podcast series is unlikely to.
From BBC ● Apr. 6, 2025
Both were predisposed to feel that people, and by extension markets, were too certain about inherently uncertain things.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
There may also be "predisposing factors", such as trauma, issues from early childhood, or negative self-belief, that can make it harder to curb your use, she says.
From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026
Selenium itself is an oxidant, but in low doses it activates responses in a controlled manner, predisposing the body to better defense.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 30, 2023
“The difference is likely due to a combination of stress and inflammation, arising from predisposing factors and the way this virus biologically interacts with the cardiovascular system.”
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 26, 2022
“Climate change is predisposing the fuels into drier conditions,” Stephens said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2020
Was there anything about the Chinese environment predisposing toward Confucian philosophy and cultural conservatism, which may also have profoundly affected history?
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
