predispose

play

verb pre·dis·pose \ˌprē-di-ˈspōz\

Definition of predispose

transitive verb
1 : to dispose in advance a good teacher predisposes children to learn
2 : to make susceptible malnutrition predisposes one to disease
intransitive verb
: to bring about susceptibility

predisposition

play \ˌprē-ˌdis-pə-ˈzi-shən\ noun

See predispose defined for English-language learners

See predispose defined for kids

Examples of predispose in a Sentence

Past experiences have predisposed her to distrust people.

Recent Examples of predispose from the Web

Low birth weight, which is more common among black populations than others, can predispose infants to SUID, said Dr. Robert Herzlinger, director of neonatology at the Yale New Haven Children's Hospital Bridgeport campus.

— cara rosner, courant.com, "Racial Disparities Persist Despite Decline In Sudden Unexpected Infant Deaths", 5 July 2017
Another possible cause is that some women have a genetic trait that somehow, in the presence of implants, predisposes them to lymphoma.

— denise grady, The Seattle Times, "New worries on breast implants after links found to lymphoma", 17 June 2017
Another possible cause is that some women have a genetic trait that somehow, in the presence of implants, predisposes them to lymphoma.

— denise grady, The Seattle Times, "New worries on breast implants after links found to lymphoma", 17 June 2017
Other studies have also suggested that this particular variant predisposes those who carry it to risk-taking as an expression of that urge towards novelty and newness.

— mark ellwood, CNT, "The Science of Wanderlust", 12 June 2017
Scientists studying families have long suspected that domestic instability and insufficient fathering predispose girls to risky sexual behavior, but there was no hard evidence for this view.

— melvin konner, WSJ, "The Link Between Detached Dads and Risk-Taking Girls", 2 June 2017
Another possible cause is that some women have a genetic trait that somehow, in the presence of implants, predisposes them to lymphoma.

— denise grady, New York Times, "A Shocking Diagnosis: Breast Implants ‘Gave Me Cancer’", 14 May 2017
The condition predisposes people to a whole host of cancers.

— sarah zhang, The Atlantic, "A Decade Later, a Patient Finds Out Her Genetic Test Was Wrong", 11 May 2017
Moreover, a growing number of scientists are now suggesting the changes upending the Arctic reverberate and also affect the far more populous mid-latitudes, through distant connections that predispose the atmosphere to extreme weather events.

— chris mooney, Washington Post, "Uncertainty over Trump decision on Paris climate accord clouds Arctic meeting", 11 May 2017

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

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.

Did You Know?

Predispose usually means putting someone in a frame of mind to be willing to do something. So a longtime belief in the essential goodness of people, for example, will predispose us to trust a stranger. Teachers know that coming from a stable family generally predisposes children to learn. And viewing television violence for years may leave young people with a predisposition to accept real violence as normal. The medical sense of the word is similar. Thus, a person's genes may predispose her to diabetes or arthritis, and malnutrition over a long period can predispose you to all kinds of infections.

First Known Use of predispose

1646

Synonym Discussion of predispose

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?

PREDISPOSE Defined for English Language Learners

predispose

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verb

Definition of predispose for English Language Learners

: to cause (someone) to be more likely to behave in a particular way or to be affected by a particular condition

Medical Dictionary

predispose

play

verb pre·dis·pose \ˌprēd-is-ˈpōz\

Medical Definition of predispose

predisposed

;

predisposing

transitive verb

: to make susceptible malnutrition predisposes one to disease

intransitive verb

: to bring about susceptibility conditions that predispose to infection

Law Dictionary

predispose

play

transitive verb pre·dis·pose \ˌprē-di-ˈspōz\

Legal Definition of predispose

predisposed

predisposing

: to dispose or incline in advance; specifically : to make ready and willing to commit a crime have been predisposed to engage in criminal behavior — W. R. LaFave and J. H. Israel