Disposed

Disposed is the past participle of the verb dispose and, when used as an adjective, denotes a particular inclination, tendency, or mood. It is commonly seen in phrases such as “disposed to help” or “disposed toward optimism,” indicating readiness, willingness, or a habitual attitude. In medical or psychological contexts, someone can be described as disposed to a certain condition, meaning they have a predisposition or higher likelihood of experiencing it.

As a verb, dispose has several core senses. One means to get rid of or throw away something, or to deal with a problem or matter: for example, to dispose of waste or to dispose of an old asset. Another sense is to arrange or place in a particular order, or to organize a space or items, as in disposing furniture in a room. In legal or administrative language, to dispose of a case or matter means to resolve or finalize it.

Etymology traces dispose to Old French desposer or disposer, from Latin disponere “to set in order, arrange,” itself from dis- (apart) and ponere (to place). The participle disposed has long been used in English to imply readiness or arrangement, and the noun disposal refers to the act or means of getting rid of something or the arrangement of items.

In usage, care should be taken to distinguish the adjective sense (disposed to) from the verb sense (dispose of). The two forms reflect different grammatical roles but share the same linguistic root.