dispose

1 of 2

verb

dis·​pose di-ˈspōz 

disposed; disposing

transitive verb

1

: to give a tendency to : incline

faulty diet disposes one to sickness

2

a

: to put in place : set in readiness : arrange

disposing troops for withdrawal

b

: bestow

c

obsolete : regulate

intransitive verb

1

: to settle a matter finally

2

obsolete : to come to terms

disposer noun

dispose

2 of 2

noun

1

obsolete : disposal

2

obsolete

a

: disposition

b

: demeanor

Phrases

dispose of

1

a(1)

: to get rid of

how to dispose of toxic waste

(2)

: to deal with conclusively

disposed of the matter efficiently

b

: to transfer to the control of another

disposing of personal property to a total stranger

2

: to place, distribute, or arrange especially in an orderly way

disposing of the weapons in the new fort

Synonyms

Verb

• depose
• deposit
• emplace
• fix
• lay
• place
• position
• put
• set
• set up
• situate
• stick

Choose the Right Synonym for dispose

incline, bias, dispose, predispose mean to influence one to have or take an attitude toward something.

incline implies a tendency to favor one of two or more actions or conclusions.

I incline to agree

bias suggests a settled and predictable leaning in one direction and connotes unfair prejudice.

the experience biased him against foreigners

dispose suggests an affecting of one's mood or temper so as to incline one toward something.

her nature disposes her to trust others

predispose implies the operation of a disposing influence well in advance of the opportunity to manifest itself.

does fictional violence predispose them to accept real violence?

Examples of dispose in a Sentence

Verb

looking for the perfect spot to dispose the new knickknack

disposed the surgical instruments in the exact order in which they would be needed

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The car rental industry is subject to the ups and downs of the second-hand car market since these agencies dispose of cars after a certain amount of mileage. —Phil Wahba, Fortune, 27 Nov. 2023

Since Otis ravaged Acapulco — killing at least 50 people and leaving 30 missing — health brigades made up of federal workers have cleaned and disinfected a little more than one-third of the city’s 507 neighborhoods, disposing of hundreds of pounds of rotting food, Mexican officials said. —Emiliano Rodríguez Mega, New York Times, 25 Nov. 2023

More than 2 billion tons of ash have been disposed in the United States in landfills. —Erik Kobayashi-Solomon, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023

The spaceplane's return cargo capacity is about 4,000 pounds (1,850 kilograms), and the expendable Shooting Star cargo module, which will be jettisoned at the end of the mission to burn up in the atmosphere, can dispose of several tons of trash from the space station. —Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 1 Nov. 2023

Always dispose of used tests safely and never share or reuse a test. —Allison Duncan, Health, 31 Oct. 2023

Authorities allege that Samuel hired day laborers on Nov. 7 to dispose of four large trash bags. —Liam Quinn, Peoplemag, 14 Nov. 2023

Holcim had reduced much of its fossil fuel use there, and had created an additional revenue stream by using waste fuel instead—burning material that Holcim had been paid to dispose of. —Peter Vanham, Fortune Europe, 8 Nov. 2023

The breakup with Ye left the company, based in Herzogenaurach, Germany, with 1.2 billion euros worth of unsold Yeezys and searching for a responsible way to dispose of them. —David McHugh, Fortune, 8 Nov. 2023

See More

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French desposer, from Latin disponere to arrange (perfect indicative disposui), from dis- + ponere to put — more at position

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

1590, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing dispose

• dispose of

• dispose of

Kids Definition

dispose

verb

dis·​pose

dis-ˈpōz

disposed; disposing

1

: incline entry 1 sense 2

I was not disposed to go to the meeting

2

: to put in place or in readiness : arrange

you'll need more room to dispose your legs comfortably

disposer noun