Disposition
noun
Definition
1. (noun) A person's natural qualities of mind and character — their usual mood, temperament, or way of being.
2. (noun) A natural tendency or inclination to feel, think, or behave in a particular way — often something you are born with or develop early.
2. (noun) A natural tendency or inclination to feel, think, or behave in a particular way — often something you are born with or develop early.
Context Alive
You started a new job two weeks ago and there's one colleague that everyone genuinely likes. She greets everyone in the morning with a real smile. She never complains about the workload even when it's heavy. She helps people without making a big deal about it. You realise pretty quickly that she has a naturally warm disposition that makes the whole office feel a bit lighter. You find yourself looking forward to the days she's in.
Meanings
2 meanings
1
A Person's Natural Character or Temperament (Noun)
Common
▼
This meaning is about the basic personality someone has — the general mood or way of being that shows through in their daily behaviour. Imagine a child who, from the time they were a baby, has always been calm and easy-going — they sleep well, they don't get upset easily, they smile at strangers. People who meet them say they have a lovely disposition. This is describing the natural emotional baseline someone carries with them. You might say "she has a sunny disposition" about someone who is generally cheerful and optimistic, or someone could say "he's got a nervous disposition" about a person who tends to worry and startles easily. Or picture an older man who, after decades of a hard life, still has a gentle and patient disposition with everyone he meets. The word suggests this is a deep, consistent quality — not a passing mood, but how the person generally is.
✏️ Disposition is slightly more formal than "personality" or "temperament," and it tends to describe the emotional or moral flavour of someone rather than their full character. Common descriptions include sunny, cheerful, gentle, calm, warm, nervous, gloomy, anxious, and friendly. You'll hear it most often in descriptions of people, pets, and even babies — anything with a consistent emotional character.
2
A Natural Tendency or Inclination (Noun)
Common
▼
This meaning is about a built-in tendency to act, feel, or react in a particular way — something that comes naturally rather than being learned. Imagine a doctor explaining that someone has a disposition towards anxiety — not because of anything they did, but because of their biology and how their nervous system works. This is describing a leaning in one direction that influences behaviour without the person necessarily choosing it. You might read "she had a disposition towards generosity" about someone who naturally shares and gives without needing to think about it, or someone could say "he has a disposition to see the worst in people" about a person whose first instinct is always suspicion. Or think about a family with several members who all suffer from the same condition — doctors might say there's a genetic disposition running through the family. The word suggests the tendency is real, consistent, and at least partly beyond conscious control.
✏️ In this sense, disposition is often followed by "towards" or "to": "a disposition towards kindness," "a disposition to worry." It appears frequently in psychology, medicine, and personal writing — anywhere people are trying to describe why someone tends to behave in a particular way. "Genetic disposition" and "natural disposition" are especially common combinations.
Common Patterns
Basic Structures
have a + adjective + disposition → describes the type of personality or temperament someone has
She has a cheerful disposition that instantly makes people feel more relaxed around her.
a + adjective + disposition → the most common way to describe someone's general nature
He's always been a quiet child with a very gentle disposition from a young age.
disposition towards + noun → a natural tendency to feel or do something
Some people seem to have a disposition towards seeing the positive side of every situation.
Common Structures
by disposition / by nature → used to describe something that comes naturally rather than being learned or chosen
She's a worrier by disposition — she's always planning for everything that might go wrong.
nervous / anxious disposition → a personality type that tends toward worry and stress — common in medical and everyday contexts
The doctor warned that people with a nervous disposition should avoid too much caffeine.
genetic / natural disposition → a tendency that is believed to be inherited or inborn
There seems to be a genetic disposition to heart disease running in her family.
Collocations
10 collocationscheerful disposition
a generally happy and positive nature
sunny disposition
a bright, cheerful, optimistic personality — often used warmly
gentle disposition
a soft, kind, and calm nature — common in descriptions of people and animals
calm disposition
a relaxed, composed temperament that doesn't get easily upset
nervous disposition
a personality type that tends toward worry, anxiety, or easily being startled
gloomy disposition
a naturally sad, pessimistic, or serious nature
warm disposition
a friendly, affectionate, welcoming personality
disposition towards
a natural tendency to feel, think, or act in a particular way
natural disposition
the personality or tendency someone is born with rather than learns
genetic disposition
a tendency believed to be passed down biologically through family
Example Sentences
10 examples
1
She has a naturally cheerful disposition that makes her very easy to work with.
Her naturally upbeat personality means people find it easy and pleasant to work alongside her.
2
Children with a nervous disposition often need extra reassurance in unfamiliar situations.
Kids who are naturally anxious tend to need more comfort and support when they're in new places or situations.
3
Despite everything he'd been through, he maintained a gentle disposition towards everyone he met.
Even after all the difficulties he had experienced, he still treated everyone he encountered with kindness and calm.
4
The old dog had such a friendly disposition that children were never scared of him.
The elderly dog's warm and friendly nature meant children always felt completely safe around him.
5
She has a disposition towards perfectionism, which makes deadlines especially stressful for her.
Her natural tendency towards being a perfectionist means that deadlines put her under extra pressure.
6
By disposition, he's a private person — he's never enjoyed being the centre of attention.
He's naturally a private individual and has never liked being in the spotlight.
7
The doctor explained that some people have a genetic disposition towards certain conditions.
The doctor clarified that certain medical conditions can be more common in people due to inherited tendencies.
8
Her gloomy disposition was a bit of a surprise given how supportive and warm her family was.
Given how loving and encouraging her family was, her naturally sad outlook was somewhat unexpected.
9
He has a calm disposition that makes him the perfect person to have around in a crisis.
His composed, steady nature makes him exactly the kind of person you want with you when things go wrong.
10
People with a disposition towards kindness tend to be the ones who quietly check on everyone else.
Those who are naturally inclined to be kind are often the ones who quietly make sure everyone around them is okay.
Synonyms & Antonyms
6 items
Synonymstemperament
very close in meaning — tends to focus more on emotional reactions and mood patterns than overall character
nature
broader and more common in everyday speech — "it's just in her nature" and "it's her disposition" mean similar things
tendency
fits the second meaning — a natural leaning towards a particular behaviour or feeling
Antonymshabit
a learned pattern of behaviour, unlike disposition which tends to be natural or inborn
pretence
a false show of a feeling or attitude — the opposite of a genuine, natural disposition
resistance
for the second meaning — the opposite of a disposition towards something is an active resistance to it