disposition
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
your usual mood or the natural way you behave towards others.
a person's inherent qualities of mind and character; their natural temperament.
Simple“She has a very sunny disposition and always looks for the best in people.”
In context“His naturally nervous disposition made him ill-suited for the high-pressure environment of the trading floor.”
Synonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
the way that things are placed or arranged in a particular order.
the relative arrangement or placement of objects or parts.
Simple“The general carefully planned the disposition of his troops across the valley.”
In context“The architect spent weeks perfecting the disposition of the rooms to ensure maximum exposure to natural light throughout the day.”
Synonyms - 03 C2 Proficiency
the final decision about what happens to property or a legal case.
the final settlement of a matter; in law, the transfer of property or the final determination of a court case.
Simple“The will explained the disposition of his money after his death.”
In context“The court's final disposition of the assets was delayed by several months due to unforeseen challenges from the creditors.”
Synonyms - 04 C1 Advanced
a natural tendency to behave in a certain way or to develop a certain health problem.
a tendency or inclination to act in a particular way or to be affected by a specific condition.
Simple“Some people have a genetic disposition to certain types of heart disease.”
In context“The report noted a growing disposition among younger voters to support independent candidates over traditional parties.”
Synonyms
“The pooled analysis of a total of 578 men with a low disposition to trust revealed an almost 17% increase in trusting behavior.”
From Middle English disposicioun, from Middle French disposition, from Latin dispositiōnem, accusative singular of dispositiō, from dispōnō. By surface analysis, dispose + -ition. Doublet of dispositio.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.