Disposition — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun /ˌdi-spə-ˈzi-shən/ dis·po·si·tion

Meaning & Definition of Disposition

Disposition (noun)

  1. the usual attitude or mood of a person or animal
  2. the tendency to act or think in a certain manner under given circumstances
  3. susceptibility, predisposition

Disposition (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. one's characteristic attitude or mood

    "he has a cheerful disposition and is very rarely depressed"

    similar: grain, nature, temper, temperament
    related: cheer, frame, habit, humor, inclination, mode, spirit, angle, attitude, mind-set, outlook, perspective, slant, standpoint, viewpoint, emotion, feeling, heart, passion, sentiment, strain, belief, conviction, judgment, mind, notion, opinion, persuasion, view, expression, tone, vein, character, identity, individuality, makeup, mettle, personality, selfhood, self-identity, setup, responsiveness, sensibility, sensitiveness, sensitivity

  2. a habitual attraction to some activity or thing

    "a woman with a disposition to fuss about trivial matters"

    similar: affection, affinity, aptitude, bent, bias, bone, devices, genius, habitude, impulse, inclination, leaning, partiality, penchant, predilection, predisposition, proclivity, propensity, tendency, turn
    related: favor, one-sidedness, partisanship, prejudice, endowment, faculty, flair, gift, knack, talent, addiction, appetite, fancy, fondness, like, liking, preference, taste, forte, speciality, specialty, convention, custom, habit, pattern, practice, routine, trick, way, wont, eccentricity, idiosyncrasy, kink, oddity, peculiarity, quirk, singularity
    near: allergy, averseness, aversion, disfavor, disinclination, dislike, disliking, disrelish, distaste, detachment, impartiality, neutrality, objectivity, apathy, disinterestedness, indifference, insouciance, nonchalance, unconcern

  3. the getting rid of whatever is unwanted or useless

    "we'll have to find some means for the disposition of all of this junk"

    similar: discarding, disposal, dumping, jettison, junking, removal, riddance, scrapping, throwing away
    related: clearance, clearing, decimation, demolishment, demolition, destruction
    near: accumulation, acquirement, acquisition, collection, deposit, gathering

  4. the way objects in space or events in time are arranged or follow one another

    "planned the disposition of events at her wedding with a precision that military commanders would envy"

    similar: arrangement, array, disposal, distribution, order, ordering, sequence, setup
    related: continuity, precedence, priority, chain, procession, progression, succession, series, aligning, alignment, lining up, design, layout, pattern, structure, system
    near: confusion, disorder, disorganization, disruption, upset, disconnection, disjointedness

  5. an arrangement about action to be taken

    "all that remains is a disposition regarding the custody of the two children"

    similar: accord, agreement, bargain, compact, contract, convention, covenant, deal, pact, settlement, understanding
    related: charter, treaty, binder, pledge, promise, alliance, association, entente, entente cordiale, league, partnership, acceptance, approval, assent, concurrence, consent, OK

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Disposition

The most common words with a similar meaning to Disposition:

grain, nature, temper, temperament, affection, affinity, aptitude, bent, bias, bone, devices, genius, habitude, impulse, inclination, leaning, partiality, penchant, predilection, predisposition, proclivity, propensity, tendency, turn, discarding, disposal, dumping, jettison, junking, removal, riddance, scrapping, throwing away, arrangement, array, distribution, order, ordering, sequence, setup

Related Words for Disposition

cheer, frame, habit, humor, mode, spirit, angle, attitude, mind-set, outlook, perspective, slant, standpoint, viewpoint, emotion, feeling, heart, passion, sentiment, strain, belief, conviction, judgment, mind, notion, opinion, persuasion, view, expression, tone

Near Antonyms of Disposition

allergy, averseness, aversion, disfavor, disinclination, dislike, disliking, disrelish, distaste, detachment, impartiality, neutrality, objectivity, apathy, disinterestedness, indifference, insouciance, nonchalance, unconcern, accumulation, acquirement, acquisition, collection, deposit, gathering, confusion, disorder, disorganization, disruption, upset

Word Forms of Disposition

Derived words: dispositional (adjective)

Origin & Etymology of Disposition

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin disposition-, dispositio, from disponere see dispose:1

First known use: 14th century

Frequently Asked Questions about Disposition

What does "Disposition" mean?

"Disposition" means the usual attitude or mood of a person or animal. As a noun, it is defined as: the usual attitude or mood of a person or animal. It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Disposition"?

Other words for "Disposition" include grain, nature, temper, temperament, affection, affinity, aptitude and bent. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Disposition" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Disposition"?

There are 167 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Disposition". Common alternatives include grain, nature, temper, temperament, affection, affinity, aptitude, bent, bias and bone.

How do you use "Disposition" in a sentence?

Examples of "Disposition" in a sentence: "he has a cheerful disposition and is very rarely depressed"; "a woman with a disposition to fuss about trivial matters"; "we'll have to find some means for the disposition of all of this junk".

Is "Disposition" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Disposition" is a noun.

How do you pronounce "Disposition"?

"Disposition" is pronounced /ˌdi-spə-ˈzi-shən/ and divided into syllables as dis·po·si·tion.

What is the origin of the word "Disposition"?

"Disposition" comes from Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin disposition-, dispositio, from disponere see dispose:1. First known use: 14th century.

What is another word for "Disposition" meaning "one's characteristic attitude or mood"?

When "Disposition" (noun) means one's characteristic attitude or mood, synonyms include grain, nature, temper and temperament.