temperament

noun tem·per·a·ment \ ˈtem-p(ə-)rə-mənt , -pər-mənt \

Definition of temperament

1 a :characteristic or habitual inclination or mode of emotional response

a nervous temperament

b :extremely high sensibility; especially :excessive sensitiveness or irritability

c :the peculiar or distinguishing mental or physical character determined by the relative proportions of the humors according to medieval physiology

2 a :the act or process of tempering or modifying :adjustment, compromise

b :middle course :mean

3 :the slight modification of acoustically pure intervals in tuning a musical instrument; especially :modification that produces a set of 12 equally spaced tones to the octave

4 obsolete

a :constitution of a substance, body, or organism with respect to the mixture or balance of its elements, qualities, or parts :makeup

b :complexion 1

5 obsolete

a :climate

b :temperature 1

See temperament defined for English-language learners

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Examples of temperament in a Sentence

The two women were opposite in temperament.
looking for a dog with a sweet temperament

Recent Examples of temperament from the Web

Like all retail employees, being a good budtender requires a friendly temperament and strong work ethic – but a passion for both the product and the industry is what sets budtenders apart from more run-of-the-mill retail jobs.

— the evergreen market, The Seattle Times, "How budtenders help customers pick the right cannabis," 28 Aug. 2017
The berries have a wonderful temperament toward high heat, softening well when baked but yet hanging on to their shape.

— arthi subramaniam, sacbee, "Blueberries need good public relations," 22 Aug. 2017
At Worthington, pups can frolic with other dogs of similar size and temperament; the park has an area specifically designated for smaller, shier or older dogs.

— kit waskom pollard, Howard County Times, "3 things to do with the kids — and furry friends — in Howard County," 2 Aug. 2017
And as with Obvious Child, Slate gives a quietly subversive performance, burying the drama of the affair behind her character's chipper temperament.

— nojan aminosharei, Marie Claire, "Jenny Slate Is Trying Not to Overshare," 1 Aug. 2017
Maintaining that kind of temperament takes effort for travel-weary jockeys, who are on the road often throughout the year.

— john henry, star-telegram, "Cheerful jockey takes home top prize as season wraps at Lone Star Park," 30 July 2017
Each Doctor has a different personality and temperament.

— varad mehta, National Review, "Why Can’t the Doctor Be More Like a Woman?," 22 July 2017
And Oliver certainly has the right temperament for the job.

— jennifer earl, CBS News, "Iraq War veteran and PTSD service dog form instant bond," 18 July 2017
Beisner says the dog was heavily medicated, had a nasty temperament, and was drinking his own urine.

— alexia fernandez, PEOPLE.com, "Animal Shelter Says Lena Dunham’s Dog Was Not Abused Before Adoption," 7 July 2017

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

Why is temperament spelled the way it is?

Blame Latin.

Like the related noun temper (which most often refers to a person's tendency to become angry, but also has a neutral sense very close to that of temperament, among other meanings) temperament traces back to a Latin word, temperare, which means "to mix or blend." The a in temperare lives on in the modern spelling of temperament.

Temperament is an old word (it dates to the 15th century) with multiple meanings, but in modern use it typically refers to the usual attitude, mood, or behavior of a person or animal. If you're adopting a dog, you might look for one with a sweet temperament; you might describe someone who is often nervous as having a nervous temperament.

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.

Origin and Etymology of temperament

Middle English, from Latin temperamentum, from temperare to mix, temper

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

See Words from the same year

temperament Synonyms

Synonyms

grain, nature, temper, disposition

Synonym Discussion of temperament

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.