Disposition

Disposition is a term with multiple related meanings in English. In everyday usage, it refers to a person’s inherent qualities of mind and character, or their general temperament. When someone is described as having a cheerful disposition, it means they tend to be optimistic and pleasant. In psychology and behavioral sciences, a disposition is a relatively stable tendency to respond in a particular way across situations, contrasted with temporary states or situational factors. The expression “disposition toward” indicates an inclination or readiness to act in a certain manner.

Legal and administrative usage: In law, disposition refers to the final determination or settlement of a matter, such as the disposition of a case after proceedings, or the disposition of property, which means transferring, selling, bequeathing, or distributing assets. In probate and estate administration, the disposition of an estate describes how property is distributed to heirs and beneficiaries.

Military usage: The disposition of forces describes how troops and equipment are arranged and deployed for operations.

Other uses: In chemistry and related sciences, disposition can refer to the arrangement or orientation of atoms, functional groups, or molecules, or the way a system is set up. The term also appears in phrases such as “dispositional factors” in psychology, meaning internal causes of behavior rather than external factors.

Etymology: The word comes from Latin dispositio, meaning to arrange or prepare, reflecting its broad sense of arrangement and allocation.