DictionarydisposeCreating an inclination
verb

dispose

To place something in a particular arrangement.

The director disposes the actors in groups across the stage.

Etymology

The Latin verb means to arrange or distribute. This sense preserves the physical action of assigning things their positions within an ordered layout.

More examples

  • The troops are disposed along the border.
  • She disposed the chairs in a semicircle.
  • The figures in the painting are carefully disposed.

Forms

dispose · disposes · disposed · disposing

disposition noun — The arrangement or positioning of things.

Similar words

arrange
The more usual word for putting things into an orderly pattern.
position
Emphasizes the specific location or orientation of each item.