Trend Watch

Disposition

As a pop song gained new exposure in other forms ...

When:

Lookups for disposition have been rising steadily for several months, and hit the #1 spot on March 4, 2011.

Why:

The popularity of this word got a boost from "Sweet Disposition," a song by the Australian band The Temper Trap. That song appeared in commercials during the recent Academy Awards broadcast, and a remix was nominated for a Grammy.

In the song, disposition is used to mean "the usual attitude or mood of a person."

In other less-romantic contexts, the word's meanings include "the order or arrangement of something," and "the official control or power of transferring property to another person."

Disposition comes from a Latin word that means "to put in order, to arrange."

Photo credit: From the "Sweet Disposition" video / The Temper Trap


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