temperament
noun
Did you know?
Why is temperament spelled the way it is?
Blame Latin.
Like the related noun temper (which most often refers to a person's tendency to become angry, but also has a neutral sense very close to that of temperament, among other meanings) temperament traces back to a Latin word, temperare, which means "to mix or blend." The a in temperare lives on in the modern spelling of temperament.
Temperament is an old word (it dates to the 15th century) with multiple meanings, but in modern use it typically refers to the usual attitude, mood, or behavior of a person or animal. If you're adopting a dog, you might look for one with a sweet temperament; you might describe someone who is often nervous as having a nervous temperament.
Did you know?
What is the difference between disposition and predisposition?
What exactly is someone's disposition? And is it different from a predisposition? A person's disposition is his or her usual mood or attitude. Are you typically pretty happy? You could be described as having a happy—or cheerful, or sunny—disposition. Animals have dispositions too; a dog with a nervous disposition doesn't easily relax into a restful pup curled up at someone’s feet. In this use, disposition is a synonym of temperament; both words refer to the complex set of attitudes and inclinations that guide behavior.
Disposition can also mean "tendency" or "inclination," and in such cases it has a surprising synonym: predisposition. A disposition to exaggerate is the same as a predisposition to exaggerate. A disposition toward humility is likewise the same thing as a predisposition toward humility. The fact of being "in advance" that the prefix pre- implies hardly matters when tendency and inclination are concerned, since both concern what is likely to happen in the future.
While phrases like "a disposition to cooperate" are about as common as "a predisposition to cooperate," when the context is medical, predisposition is far more common. Phrases like "a genetic predisposition to nearsightedness" appear much more frequently in published, edited text than similar phrases employing disposition.
Examples of temperament in a Sentence
Gary Langer, ABC News, 3 Nov. 2024
The sister rose of Grenache from the Blue Mountain Vineyard is very light in color and temperament, with baby strawberries, a little savory note.
—Lana Bortolot, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024
Americans and Brits, being less royalist and more empirical in temperament, are bewildered by the general French understanding that the top thinker is supposed to be imperious and maximalist.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2024
Regarding her expert tips for raising dogs, Rossellini recommends that people choose their future pup based on the canine's temperament instead of its appearance.
—Megan Johnson, People.com, 24 Oct. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Temperament.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/temperament. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
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temperament
noun
Medical Definition
temperament
noun
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