# disposition
## English
### Alternative forms

* dispotion (obsolete)

### Etymology

From Middle English disposicioun, from Middle French disposition, from Latin dispositiōnem, accusative singular of dispositiō, from dispōnō. By surface analysis, dispose +‎ -ition. Doublet of dispositio.

### Pronunciation

* (UK, General Australian) IPA: /ˌdɪs.pəˈzɪʃ.ən/
* (US) IPA: /ˌdɪs.pəˈzɪʃ.ən/, /ˌdɪs.pəˈzɪʃ.ɪn/
** Audio (US):(file)

### Noun

disposition (countable and uncountable, plural dispositions)
* The way in which something or someone is disposed or disposed of (in any sense of those terms); thus:
** Control over something, or the results produced by the exercise of such control; thus:
*** The arrangement or placement of certain things.
    The scouts reported on the disposition of the enemy troops.
**** 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.
*** 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.
**** 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.
    You will have full disposition of these funds.
*** (law) Transfer or relinquishment to the care or possession of another.
    Synonyms: assignment, conveyance
    The court ordered the disposition of all assets.
*** (law) Final decision or settlement.
    The disposition of the case will be announced tomorrow.
*** (medicine) 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.
*** (music) The set of choirs of strings on a harpsichord.
    This small harpsichord has a 1 x 4' disposition.
** Tendency or inclination under given circumstances.
    I have little disposition now to do as you say.
    Salt has a disposition to dissolve in water.
** Temperament, temperamental makeup or habitual mood.
    She has a sunny disposition.
    He has such a foul 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 […]
*** 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.
*** 1925, “Sometimes I'm Happy”, Irving Caesar (lyrics), Vincent Youmans (music):Sometimes I'm happy / Sometimes I'm blue / My disposition / Depends on you
* (law) 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.
** 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 […]
** 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

#### Derived terms

* ambulatory disposition
* counterdisposition
* dispositional
* disposition effect
* disposition hearing
* disposition index
* maldisposition
* misdisposition
* redisposition
* testamentary disposition

#### Related terms

* disposal
* dispose
* dispositive
* predisposition

#### Translations

    The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

### Verb

disposition (third-person singular simple present dispositions, present participle dispositioning, simple past and past participle dispositioned)
* To remove or place in a different position.

#### Related terms

* disposal
* dispose
* dispositive
* predisposition

## Danish
### Noun

disposition c (singular definite dispositionen, plural indefinite dispositioner)
* This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

#### Declension
### Further reading

* “disposition” in Den Danske Ordbog

## Finnish
### Noun

disposition
* genitive singular of dispositio

## French
### Etymology

Borrowed from Latin dispositiōnem.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /dis.po.zi.sjɔ̃/
* Audio:(file)

### Noun

disposition f (plural dispositions)
* arrangement; layout
* disposal; the ability or authority to use something
* step; arrangement; measure
* disposition; tendency

#### Derived terms

* à disposition

#### Related terms

* disposer
* dispositif

#### Descendants

* → Romanian: dispoziție

### Further reading

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

## Old French
### Etymology

Borrowed from Latin dispositiō.

### Noun

disposition oblique singular, f (oblique plural dispositions, nominative singular disposition, nominative plural dispositions)
* arrangement; layout

## Swedish
### Noun

disposition c
* disposal (right to make use of something, typically something one doesn't own)
    Våningen står till er dispositionThe apartment is at your disposal
* disposition (arrangement, organization)
* a disposition (planned measure, for example within the military)
* natural susceptibility (especially to a disease)
* (less common) (present) condition of someone or something (mentally or physically)

#### Derived terms

* predisposition

#### Related terms

* disponera

### References

* disposition in Svensk ordbok (SO)
* disposition in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
* disposition in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)