temperament
Americannoun
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the combination of mental, physical, and emotional traits of a person; natural predisposition.
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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.
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(old physiology) the combination of the four cardinal humors, the relative proportions of which were supposed to determine physical and mental constitution.
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Music.
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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.
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a particular system of doing this.
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Archaic. an act of tempering or moderating.
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Archaic. climate.
noun
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an individual's character, disposition, and tendencies as revealed in his reactions
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excitability, moodiness, or anger, esp when displayed openly
an actress with temperament
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the characteristic way an individual behaves, esp towards other people See also character personality
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an adjustment made to the frequency differences between notes on a keyboard instrument to allow modulation to other keys
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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
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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)
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archaic compromise or adjustment
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an obsolete word for temperature
Related Words
See disposition.
Etymology
Origin of temperament
1375–1425; late Middle English < Latin temperāmentum due mixture, equivalent to temperā ( re ) to mix properly + -mentum -ment
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 hearing on Wednesday -- the only formal hurdle before a floor vote -- quickly turned tense, with Paul confronting Mullin over past comments and questioning his temperament.
From Barron's • Mar. 19, 2026
Instead, Pegula tends to go about her business quietly, relying on a calm temperament and a methodical style that wears opponents down over time.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 11, 2026
To all but his most fanatical followers, it’s clear he possesses a megalomaniacal personality and violent temperament.
From Salon • Mar. 7, 2026
To investigate the biological roots of canine temperament, scientists examined the DNA of 1,300 golden retrievers and compared it with each dog's behavioral profile.
From Science Daily • Mar. 7, 2026
The various well temperament tunings that were very popular in the 18th and 19th centuries tried to strike a balance between staying close to pure intervals and avoiding wolf intervals.
From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones
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.
