Alternative forms

• dispotion (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle EnglishCategory:English terms inherited from Middle English#DISPOSITIONCategory:English terms derived from Middle English#DISPOSITION disposicioun, from Middle FrenchCategory:English terms derived from Middle French#DISPOSITION disposition, from LatinCategory:English terms derived from Latin#DISPOSITION dispositiōnem, accusative singular of dispositiō, from dispōnō. By surface analysis, dispose +‎ -itionCategory:English terms suffixed with -ition#DISPOSITION. Doublet of dispositioCategory:English doublets#DISPOSITION.

Pronunciation

• (UK, General Australian) IPA^(key): /ˌdɪs.pəˈzɪʃ.ən/Category:English 4-syllable words#DISPOSITIONCategory:English terms with IPA pronunciation#DISPOSITION
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˌdɪs.pəˈzɪʃ.ən/, /ˌdɪs.pəˈzɪʃ.ɪn/Category:English 4-syllable words#DISPOSITIONCategory:English 4-syllable words#DISPOSITIONCategory:English terms with IPA pronunciation#DISPOSITION

  • Audio (US):

    (file)

    Category:English terms with audio pronunciation#DISPOSITION

Noun

disposition (countable and uncountable, plural dispositions)Category:English lemmas#DISPOSITIONCategory:English nouns#DISPOSITIONCategory:English uncountable nouns#DISPOSITIONCategory:English countable nouns#DISPOSITIONCategory:English countable nouns#DISPOSITIONCategory:English entries with incorrect language header#DISPOSITIONCategory:Pages with entries#DISPOSITIONCategory:Pages with 6 entries#DISPOSITION

1. The way in which something or someone is disposed or disposed of (in any sense of those terms); thus:
   1. Control over something, or the results produced by the exercise of such control; thus:
      1. The arrangement or placement of certain things.

         The scouts reported on the disposition of the enemy troops.Category:English terms with usage examples#DISPOSITION

         • 1921, Ben Travers, chapter 5, in A Cuckoo in the Nest, Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Page & Company, published 1925, →OCLC:

           The departure was not unduly prolonged. […] Within the door Mrs. Spoker hastily imparted to Mrs. Love a few final sentiments on the subject of Divine Intention in the disposition of buckets; farewells and last commiserations; a deep, guttural instigation to the horse; and the wheels of the waggonette crunched heavily away into obscurity.

           Category:English terms with quotations#DISPOSITION

      2. Control over something, especially with regard to disposing or dispensing with an action item (disposal of a concern, allocation of disbursed funds) or control over the arrangement or placement of certain things.

         You will have full disposition of these funds.Category:English terms with usage examples#DISPOSITION

         • 1927, Havelock Ellis, Studies in the Psychology of Sex, Volume 2 (of 6)‎:

           Seduced at the age of 10 by a famous sodomist named Duplessis, he had since been at the disposition of a number of homosexual persons, including officers, priests, and marquises.

           Category:English terms with quotations#DISPOSITION

      3. (lawCategory:en:Law#DISPOSITION) Transfer or relinquishment to the care or possession of another.

         Synonyms: assignment, conveyance

         The court ordered the disposition of all assets.Category:English terms with usage examples#DISPOSITION

      4. (lawCategory:en:Law#DISPOSITION) Final decision or settlement.

         The disposition of the case will be announced tomorrow.Category:English terms with usage examples#DISPOSITION

      5. (medicineCategory:en:Medicine#DISPOSITION) The destination of a patient after medical treatment, especially after emergency triage, first line treatment, or surgery; the choice made for the next venue of care.

         The patient was given a disposition for outpatient care, as ward admission was not indicated.Category:English terms with usage examples#DISPOSITION

      7. (musicCategory:en:Music#DISPOSITION) The set of choirs of strings on a harpsichord.

         This small harpsichord has a 1 x 4' disposition.

         Category:English terms with usage examples#DISPOSITION

   2. Tendency or inclination under given circumstances.

      I have little disposition now to do as you say.Category:English terms with usage examples#DISPOSITION

      Salt has a disposition to dissolve in water.Category:English terms with usage examples#DISPOSITION

      • 1960 May, O. S. Nock, “British Locomotive Practice and Performance”, in Railway Magazine, page 343:

        What grand engines they were! Yet I have noticed a disposition on the part of quite a diversity of present-day commentators to denigrate those engines.

        Category:English terms with quotations#DISPOSITION

   3. Temperament, temperamental makeup or habitual mood.

      She has a sunny disposition.Category:English terms with usage examples#DISPOSITION

      He has such a foul disposition.Category:English terms with usage examples#DISPOSITION

      • 1749, Henry Fielding, chapter II, in The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC, book III:

        He was, indeed, a lad of a remarkable disposition; sober, discreet, and pious beyond his age […]

        Category:English terms with quotations#DISPOSITION

      • 1881, John Younger, “Introductory Chapter”, in Autobiography of John Younger, Shoemaker, St. Boswells‎, Kelso, Scotland: J. & J.H. Rutherfurd, page xi:

        So much does creative wisdom [of Divine Providence] seem to delight in variety, that, tame only a nest of small birds—starlings or sparrows—and you will soon perceive that these birds will not only be distinguishable by bodily appearance, but also by individuality of temper. The same diversity of disposition pervades all creation, even the vegetable and mineral kingdoms, and is far more perceptible in the human species, where the variations are endless and minute, between the two extremes of greatest and least ability and aptitude. Education will always do a great deal; yet where, by infinite labour, you can excite and impress the dull faculties of one brother or sister till they have got versed by rote in any lesson of art or science, another will catch up the idea at once with such aptitude as might make you suppose it intuitive in his or her constitution.

        Category:English terms with quotations#DISPOSITION

      • 1925, “Sometimes I'm Happy”, Irving Caesar (lyrics), Vincent Youmans (music):

        Sometimes I'm happy / Sometimes I'm blue / My disposition / Depends on you

        Category:English terms with quotations#DISPOSITION

2. (lawCategory:en:Law#DISPOSITION) Provision; clause.
   • 2003, Medrano, Amelia Pascual, Active Legitimization in Constitutional Proceedings: The Spanish Case‎, page 167:

     The C.C. is the supreme interpreter of the Constitution (Section 1 of the O.L.C.C.) and, as we have already said, it was granted the monopoly of declaring unconstitutional the legal dispositions.

     Category:English terms with quotations#DISPOSITION

   • 2003, Act XXI of 2003 on the Establishment of the European Works Council and on the Establishment of the Procedure of Informing and Consulting Employees‎, page 23:

     The dispositions of this Act shall not be applied in case of […]

     Category:English terms with quotations#DISPOSITION

   • 1999, Albanian Law on Foreigners‎, page 1:

     an obligation that can arise as a consequence of an expected action or inaction of the foreign person that goes against the dispositions of this law

     Category:English terms with quotations#DISPOSITION

Verb

disposition (third-person singular simple present dispositions, present participle dispositioning, simple past and past participle dispositioned)Category:English lemmas#DISPOSITIONCategory:English verbs#DISPOSITIONCategory:English entries with incorrect language header#DISPOSITIONCategory:Pages with entries#DISPOSITIONCategory:Pages with 6 entries#DISPOSITION

1. To remove or place in a different position.

Etymology

From LatinCategory:Danish terms derived from Latin#DISPOSITION dispositiōnem.

Noun

disposition c (singular definite dispositionen, plural indefinite dispositioner)Category:Danish lemmas#DISPOSITIONCategory:Danish nouns#DISPOSITIONCategory:Danish entries with incorrect language header#DISPOSITIONCategory:Danish common-gender nouns#DISPOSITIONCategory:Pages with entries#DISPOSITIONCategory:Pages with 6 entries#DISPOSITION

1. arrangement, outline, plan
2. disposal
3. predisposition

Further reading

• “disposition” in Den Danske Ordbog

Noun

dispositionCategory:Finnish non-lemma forms#DISPOSITIONCategory:Finnish noun forms#DISPOSITIONCategory:Finnish entries with incorrect language header#DISPOSITIONCategory:Pages with entries#DISPOSITIONCategory:Pages with 6 entries#DISPOSITION

1. genitive singular of dispositio

Etymology

Borrowed from LatinCategory:French terms borrowed from Latin#DISPOSITIONCategory:French terms derived from Latin#DISPOSITION dispositiōnem.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dis.po.zi.sjɔ̃/Category:French 4-syllable words#DISPOSITIONCategory:French terms with IPA pronunciation#DISPOSITION

• Audio:

  (file)

  Category:French terms with audio pronunciation#DISPOSITION

• Audio (France (Vosges)):

  (file)

  Category:French terms with audio pronunciation#DISPOSITION

• Audio (France (Lyon)):

  (file)

  Category:French terms with audio pronunciation#DISPOSITION

Noun

disposition f (plural dispositions)Category:French lemmas#DISPOSITIONCategory:French nouns#DISPOSITIONCategory:French countable nouns#DISPOSITIONCategory:French entries with incorrect language header#DISPOSITIONCategory:French feminine nouns#DISPOSITIONCategory:Pages with entries#DISPOSITIONCategory:Pages with 6 entries#DISPOSITION

1. arrangement; layout
2. disposal; the ability or authority to use something
3. step; arrangement; measure
4. disposition; tendency
5. (lawCategory:fr:Law#DISPOSITION) provision; clause
   • 1942 April 12, “Décret n° du 12 avril 1942 rendant applicables les dispositions des décrets du 16 juillet 1941 aux territoires relevant du Secrétariat d’État aux colonies”, in journalofficiel.dj‎:

     Les dispositions des décrets du 16 juillet 1941 susvisés sont rendues applicables aux territoires relevant du Secrétariat d’Etat aux colonies...

     The dispositions of the above-mentioned decrees of 16 July 1941 are rendered applicable to the relevant territories of the State Secretariat for the Colonies […]

     Category:French terms with quotations#DISPOSITION

   • 2013 December 23, “Doc. parl. 6606; sess. ord. 2012-2013; sess. extraord. 2013; sess. extraord. 2013-2014.”, in natlex.ilo.org‎:

     Les dispositions des règlements grand-ducaux pris en exécution de la loi restent valables pour autant qu’elles ne sont pas incompatibles avec les dispositions de la présente loi.

     The dispositions of the grand-ducal regulations adopted in the execution of the law shall remain valid as long as they are not incompatible with the dispositions of the present law.

     Category:French terms with quotations#DISPOSITION

Further reading

• “disposition”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012

Etymology

Borrowed from LatinCategory:Old French terms borrowed from Latin#DISPOSITIONCategory:Old French terms derived from Latin#DISPOSITION dispositiō.

Noun

disposition oblique singular, f (oblique plural dispositions, nominative singular disposition, nominative plural dispositions)Category:Old French lemmas#DISPOSITIONCategory:Old French nouns#DISPOSITIONCategory:Old French feminine nouns#DISPOSITIONCategory:Old French entries with incorrect language header#DISPOSITIONCategory:Old French feminine nouns#DISPOSITIONCategory:Pages with entries#DISPOSITIONCategory:Pages with 6 entries#DISPOSITION

1. arrangement; layout

Noun

disposition cCategory:Swedish lemmas#DISPOSITIONCategory:Swedish nouns#DISPOSITIONCategory:Swedish entries with incorrect language header#DISPOSITIONCategory:Swedish common-gender nouns#DISPOSITIONCategory:Pages with entries#DISPOSITIONCategory:Pages with 6 entries#DISPOSITION

1. disposal (right to make use of something, typically something one doesn't own)

   Våningen står till er disposition

   The apartment is at your disposal

   Category:Swedish terms with usage examples#DISPOSITION

2. disposition (arrangement, organization)
3. a disposition (planned measure, for example within the military)
4. natural susceptibility (especially to a disease)
5. (less common) (present) condition of someone or something (mentally or physically)

References

• “disposition”, in Svensk ordbok [Dictionary of Swedish] (in Swedish)
• “disposition”, in Svenska Akademiens ordlista [Wordlist of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish)
• “disposition”, in Svenska Akademiens ordbok [Dictionary of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish)