1
Usual temperament
A person's characteristic emotional nature.
Example
Her patient disposition made her an effective mediator.
disposition
/ˌdɪspəˈzɪʃən/ · dis-puh-ZISH-uhnnoun
A person's inherent temperament or characteristic tendency; also an arrangement or final handling.
Use disposition for a person's usual temperament, a tendency to act in a certain way, or—more formally—the arrangement or resolution of something.
What disposition Really Means
The word becomes easier to use when its closely related senses are separated and compared.
2
Behavioural tendency
An inclination to respond or act in a particular way.
Example
The species has a disposition to forage near sheltered water.
3
Arrangement or resolution
The placement, transfer, or final handling of something.
Example
The report records the disposition of each recovered object.
Use disposition Naturally
Notice how the surrounding noun or clause reveals the exact shade of meaning.
Her patient disposition made her an effective mediator.
The puppy's cautious disposition changed as it became familiar with visitors.
The archive documents the final disposition of the donated materials.
Precision Matters
Disposition overlaps with several common words, but each carries a different emphasis.
disposition
vs.Can also mean tendency or formal arrangement.
temperament
Specifically concerns emotional nature.
disposition
vs.Is a relatively enduring tendency.
mood
Is a temporary emotional state.
disposition
vs.Is an inherent or characteristic inclination.
attitude
Is an evaluative outlook toward something.
disposition
vs.Is a tendency that may influence behaviour.
action
Is the behaviour actually performed.
Test disposition in Context
The sentence describes her characteristic temperament.
1
Colleagues valued the mediator's calm ___: even during heated negotiations, she listened patiently and responded without hostility.