predispose

verb

pre·​dis·​pose ˌprē-di-ˈspōz How to pronounce predispose (audio)
predisposed; predisposing; predisposes

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 noun

Did you know?

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.

Choose the Right Synonym for 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?

Examples of predispose in a Sentence

Past experiences have predisposed her to distrust people.
Recent Examples on the Web
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These findings confirm that a healthy lifestyle in older age – especially regarding diet, exercise and not smoking – can cut your chances of developing diverticulitis in half, even if you're genetically predisposed to these intestinal wall pouches. New Atlas, 1 July 2025 According to traditional narrative logic, audiences should be predisposed to sympathize with this family, who are introduced first and seem like decent Iranian citizens (even if striking a dog doesn’t earn the patriarch any points). Peter Debruge, Variety, 20 May 2025 Trump was already predisposed toward crony capitalism. Ian Bremmer, Foreign Affairs, 13 May 2025 For example, obesity can predispose to stress eating, and stress eating can have a higher impact on cortisol levels among people who have obesity.8 Pregnancy, Diet, and Cortisol Levels Cortisol levels during pregnancy affect both the pregnant person and the fetus. Heidi Moawad, Verywell Health, 7 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for predispose

Word History

First Known Use

1646, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of predispose was in 1646

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Cite this Entry

“Predispose.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/predispose. Accessed 11 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

predispose

verb
pre·​dis·​pose ˌprēd-is-ˈpōz How to pronounce predispose (audio)
: to dispose in advance : make susceptible : incline
predisposition noun

Medical Definition

predispose

verb
pre·​dis·​pose ˌprēd-is-ˈpōz How to pronounce predispose (audio)
predisposed; predisposing

transitive verb

: to make susceptible
malnutrition predisposes one to disease

intransitive verb

: to bring about susceptibility
conditions that predispose to infection

Legal Definition

predispose

transitive verb
pre·​dis·​pose ˌprē-di-ˈspōz How to pronounce predispose (audio)
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

Note: Predisposition on the part of a defendant vitiates the defense of entrapment.

predisposition noun

More from Merriam-Webster on predispose

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