noun
disposition
dis-puh-ZISH-uhn/ˌdɪspəˈzɪʃn/
A person's usual way of feeling and behaving.
Her cheerful disposition remains evident as she greets neighbors in the rain.
Etymology
From placing things in order came the idea of an arrangement. The temperament sense developed through astrology, where a planet's position was treated as a determining influence on a person's frame of mind.
In context
i never can see him but i'm heartburned an hour after he is of a very melancholy disposition
More examples
- He had a quiet disposition.
- Their dispositions differed greatly.
- She admired his generous disposition.
Forms
disposition · dispositions
Similar words
- temperament
- A close equivalent for usual emotional character.
- mood
- A temporary state rather than a habitual tendency.