temperament
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
your natural character and the way you usually react to things.
an individual's characteristic manner of thinking, behaving, or reacting, often regarded as innate.
Simple“The two brothers have a very different temperament; one is calm while the other is energetic.”
In context“Her artistic temperament made her prone to sudden bursts of inspiration followed by long periods of quiet reflection.”
Synonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
the parts of your behavior that you are born with, rather than things you learn.
biologically based individual differences in behavior that are relatively independent of learning and social values.
Simple“Researchers study infant temperament to see how personality develops over time.”
In context“The study suggests that certain aspects of temperament, such as sensitivity to noise, are evident from birth.”
Synonyms - 03 C2 Proficiency
a way of tuning an instrument so that it sounds good in different keys.
a system of tuning in which the intervals deviate from the mathematically pure intervals of the harmonic series.
Simple“Equal temperament is the most common tuning system used for modern pianos.”
In context“The harpsichordist preferred using a historical temperament to better capture the intended dissonances of the Baroque composition.”
Synonyms - 04 C2 Proficiency
a balanced mix of different parts or ingredients.
a moderate or proportional mixture of elements or ingredients in a compound.
Simple“The old book described the temperament of the medicine as a perfect balance of herbs.”
In context“In ancient philosophy, health was often defined as the proper temperament of the four bodily humours.”
Synonyms
“There will be other days, sterner tests of this team; there will also be sterner tests of Mourinho’s temperament, of course.”
“The 24-year-old is clearly a player on the up – and has the temperament to match his talent.”
Inherited from Middle English temperament, borrowed from Middle French tempérament, from Latin temperāmentum.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.