Definition of temperament
1a
: 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
2a
: 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
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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Time Traveler for temperament
The first known use of temperament was in the 15th century
See more words from the same century