temperament

[tem-per-uh-muhnt, -pruh-muhnt, -per-muhnt]

noun

1. the combination of mental, physical, and emotional traits of a person; natural predisposition.

   Synonyms: makeup, nature

2. unusual personal attitude or nature as manifested by peculiarities of feeling, temper, action, etc., often with a disinclination to submit to conventional rules or restraints.

3. (old physiology) the combination of the four cardinal humors, the relative proportions of which were supposed to determine physical and mental constitution.

4. Music.

   1. the tuning of a keyboard instrument, as the piano, organ, or harpsichord, so that the instrument may be played in all keys without further tuning.

   2. a particular system of doing this.

5. Archaic.,  an act of tempering or moderating.

6. Archaic.,  climate.

temperament

/ -prəmənt, ˈtɛmpərəmənt /

noun

1. an individual's character, disposition, and tendencies as revealed in his reactions

2. excitability, moodiness, or anger, esp when displayed openly

   an actress with temperament

3. the characteristic way an individual behaves, esp towards other people See also character personality

4. 1. an adjustment made to the frequency differences between notes on a keyboard instrument to allow modulation to other keys

   2. any of several systems of such adjustment, such as just temperament, a system not practically possible on keyboard instruments, mean-tone temperament, a system giving an approximation to natural tuning, and equal temperament, the system commonly used in keyboard instruments, giving a scale based on an octave divided into twelve exactly equal semitones See also just intonation

5. obsolete,  the characteristic way an individual behaves, viewed as the result of the influence of the four humours (blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile)

6. archaic,  compromise or adjustment

7. an obsolete word for temperature

Word History and Origins

Origin of temperament¹

1375–1425; late Middle English < Latin temperāmentum due mixture, equivalent to temperā ( re ) to mix properly + -mentum -ment

Word History and Origins

Origin of temperament¹

C15: from Latin temperāmentum a mixing in proportion, from temperāre to _temper

Synonym Study

See disposition.

Example Sentences

For the past few months, he has been learning the violin’s temperament.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

It would have to suit Simon’s talents and temperament, while also allowing him to be completely unrecognizable.

Read more on Literature

I knew the baroness to be stingy, rigid, and mean—the perfect temperament to throw a well-run school into turmoil.

Read more on Literature

“As long as I’ve known him, he is by temperament a very cautious man,” the judge said.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Partisanship was in many ways alien to Cowley’s probing and genially learned critical temperament, which Mr. Howard describes as “Emersonian, humanistic, exploratory.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• attitude 
• ego 
• humor 
• idiosyncrasy 
• inclination 
• individuality 
• intellect 
• mentality 
• mettle 
• mood 
• nature 
• outlook 
• quality 
• spirit 
• tendency