temperament

noun

tem·​per·​a·​ment ˈtem-p(ə-)rə-mənt 

-pər-mənt

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 sense 1

5

obsolete

a

: climate

b

: temperature sense 1

Did you know?

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.

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.

Synonyms

• temper
• disposition
• attitude

Choose the Right Synonym for 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.

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

Examples of temperament in a Sentence

The two women were opposite in temperament.

looking for a dog with a sweet temperament

Recent Examples on the Web

In the doc, Nobu comes across as a man with few flaws and a very even temperament. —Addie Morfoot, Variety, 2 July 2025

Scientists say the bees' temperament is a defense mechanism to ward off predators. —Rebecca Morin, USA Today, 24 June 2025

But anybody who thinks that a post-Trump Republican Party will revert back to Ronald Reagan’s policies will be disappointed — much as those of us of a certain age and temperament might hope to the contrary. —Adrian Wooldridge, Twin Cities, 18 June 2025

One of the main issues in the case had been whether the cat’s temperament should play a role in routing it to the shelter or back to the streets. —Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, "regulation of the body's vital spirit, proportion of humors in the body," borrowed from Latin temperāmentum "mixture of substances in proper proportion, mean between hot and cold, compromise between extremes, moderation" (Medieval Latin, "proper balance of bodily humors"), from temperāre "to moderate, bring to a proper strength or consistency by mixing, maintain in a state of balance" + -mentum -ment — more at temper entry 2

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Kids Definition

temperament

noun

tem·​per·​a·​ment ˈtem-p(ə-)rə-mənt 

1

: a person's attitude as it affects what he or she says or does

nervous temperament

2

: the quality of being very excitable or irritable

Medical Definition

temperament

noun

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

1

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

2

: characteristic or habitual inclination or mode of emotional response

a nervous temperament