disposition

noun

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dis·po·si·tion | \ ˌdi-spə-ˈzi-shən

Definition of disposition

1a : prevailing tendency, mood, or inclination

b : temperamental makeup

c : the tendency of something to act in a certain manner under given circumstances

2 : the act or the power of disposing or the state of being disposed: such as

a : administration, control

b : final arrangement : settlement the disposition of the case

c(1) : transfer to the care or possession of another

(2) : the power of such transferal

d : orderly arrangement

Other Words from disposition Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym What is the difference between disposition and predisposition? Example Sentences Learn More about disposition

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Choose the Right Synonym for disposition

disposition, temperament, temper, character, personality mean the dominant quality or qualities distinguishing a person or group. disposition implies customary moods and attitude toward the life around one. a cheerful disposition temperament implies a pattern of innate characteristics associated with one's specific physical and nervous organization. an artistic temperament temper implies the qualities acquired through experience that determine how a person or group meets difficulties or handles situations. a resilient temper character applies to the aggregate of moral qualities by which a person is judged apart from intelligence, competence, or special talents. strength of character personality applies to an aggregate of qualities that distinguish one as a person. a somber personality

What is the difference between disposition and predisposition?

What exactly is someone's disposition? And is it different from a predisposition? A person's disposition is his or her usual mood or attitude. Are you typically pretty happy? You could be described as having a happy—or cheerful, or sunny—disposition. Animals have dispositions too; a dog with a nervous disposition doesn't easily relax into a restful pup curled up at someone’s feet. In this use, disposition is a synonym of temperament; both words refer to the complex set of attitudes and inclinations that guide behavior.

Disposition can also mean "tendency" or "inclination," and in such cases it has a surprising synonym: predisposition. A disposition to exaggerate is the same as a predisposition to exaggerate. A disposition toward humility is likewise the same thing as a predisposition toward humility. The fact of being "in advance" that the prefix pre- implies hardly matters when tendency and inclination are concerned, since both concern what is likely to happen in the future.

While phrases like "a disposition to cooperate" are about as common as "a predisposition to cooperate," when the context is medical, predisposition is far more common. Phrases like "a genetic predisposition to nearsightedness" appear much more frequently in published, edited text than similar phrases employing disposition.

Examples of disposition in a Sentence

They move jerkily, like puppets, but have a happy disposition; they are perpetually smiling and are given to frequent paroxysms of laughter. — Matt Ridley, Genome, 1999 … the eight species of wild equids (horses and their relatives) vary greatly in disposition, even though all eight are genetically so close to each other that they will interbreed and produce healthy (though usually sterile) offspring. — Jared Diamond, Guns, Germs, and Steel, 1997 His father, Increase [Mather], with all his faults—his sour, depressive disposition, his open preference for England—is much more attractive. — Monroe K. Spears, American Ambitions, 1987 Her easy disposition and sociability masked the intensity of her feelings. — John Edgar Wideman, Bothers and Keepers, 1984 a dog with an excellent disposition Her disposition was to always think negatively. He has a disposition toward criminal behavior. people with a genetic disposition toward a particular disease A will is a legal document that is used in the disposition of property.

Recent Examples on the Web The Vista sale is the second similar disposition by Invesco, which is one of the country’s top real estate investors. — Steve Brown, Dallas News, "Canadian investor takes Victory Park building," 7 Jan. 2020 That case was bound over to a grand jury, and no disposition was immediately available. — Carol Robinson | Crobinson@al.com, al, "Pair blazed a trail of evil, brutality and death from Alabama to Missouri," 23 Dec. 2019 Maybe there is a disposition toward optimism that is not doled out equally, as the varied personalities in even the Winnie the Pooh books -- and the Peanuts comics -- show us. — Maria Shine Stewart, cleveland, "Memories, music and movement: Sun Messages," 22 Dec. 2019 Some people just have the genetic disposition to look incredible with porcelain skin. — Jessica Radloff, Glamour, "The Best Spray Tan Tips From Ariana Grande’s Spray Tan Artist," 18 Oct. 2019 Even though Roy monologues in voice-over about the glory of exploration, his public persona has the kind of unemotional disposition demanded by his military career. — David Sims, The Atlantic, "Ad Astra Is a Deeply Human Tale Set Amid the Stars," 18 Sep. 2019 But all people don’t think the same way, so occasionally the testator wants to depart from a traditional method of asset disposition, for various reasons. — Wesley E. Wright, Houston Chronicle, "Elder Law: How much money will you leave your children?," 16 Aug. 2019 How was his disposition after refuting THAT quote from Harvard? — Jr Radcliffe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Bucks Podcast: Is something a little off about the Bucks in the early going?," 30 Oct. 2019 Dokken acknowledged that avoiding nightmarish highway commutes and working from home helped him keep his cheery disposition. — Sam Tabachnik, The Denver Post, "“Pretty unprecedented”: Metro residents contend with October weather for the ages," 30 Oct. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'disposition.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

15 Jan 2020

Cite this Entry

“Disposition.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dispositions. Accessed 25 January 2020.

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More Definitions for disposition

disposition

noun

Financial Definition of disposition

What It Is

Disposition refers to disposing of an asset through sale, assignment, or other transfer method.

How It Works

When an investor sells stock or bonds in a particular company, the sale is referred to as a disposition of the stock or bonds. Insider trades are reported by a company as the disposition of shares to board members and executives. When a bank reviews its loans and decides to sell the collateral that has been taken in a foreclosure, it is referred to as a disposition of the loan assets.

Why It Matters

Disposition indicates a transfer of ownership of the asset. The asset is sold or relinquished. Disposition can also describe an asset held as collateral on a loan.

Source: Investing Answers

disposition

noun

English Language Learners Definition of disposition

: the usual attitude or mood of a person or animal

: a tendency to act or think in a particular way

: a tendency to develop a disease, condition, etc.

See the full definition for disposition in the English Language Learners Dictionary

disposition

noun

dis·po·si·tion | \ ˌdis-pə-ˈzi-shən

Kids Definition of disposition

1 : a person's usual attitude or mood His disposition had been … sour lately.— Mildred D. Taylor, Roll of Thunder

2 : tendency sense 1, liking She has a disposition to complain.

3 : arrangement sense 1

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disposition

noun

dis·po·si·tion

Legal Definition of disposition

1a : the final determination of a matter (as a case or motion) by a court or quasi-judicial tribunal the beneficiary of such a disposition of charges against him — United States v. Smith, 354 A.2d 510 (1976) — compare decision, holding, judgment, opinion, ruling, verdict

b : the sentence given to a convicted criminal defendant probation is often a desirable disposition— W. R. LaFave and J. H. Israel also : the sentence given to or treatment prescribed for a juvenile offender

2 : transfer to the care, possession, or ownership of another to either a surviving spouse or a charity, those dispositions are totally exonerated from the payment of taxes — Matter of McKinney, 477 N.Y.S.2d 367 (1984) also : the power of such transferral

3 : the state or condition of being predisposed : predisposition

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