dispositive

Dispositive is an adjective meaning relating to disposition, or decisive and conclusive in resolving an issue. The word derives from Latin disponere, to arrange or dispose, and is common in legal and administrative language, though it can appear in general contexts to denote decisive factors.

In law, a dispositive motion or ruling is one that ends the case or resolves an issue on its merits. A dispositive ruling can dispose of all claims against a party or of a particular issue, potentially bringing the case to a close without trial. Common examples of dispositive motions include motions for summary judgment, judgments on the pleadings, and directed verdicts. Non-dispositive motions, by contrast, concern procedural matters that do not determine the merits of the claim.

Dispositive evidence or facts are those that decisively resolve a central issue in a dispute. If a single dispositive fact settles liability, for example, other arguments may become moot.

Outside strict legal usage, dispositive can describe any factor or criterion that determines an outcome, such as a policy criterion that is dispositive of a program’s success. The term is often contrasted with non-dispositive to distinguish material, outcome-altering matters from routine procedural ones.

See also: dispositive motion, disposition, dispositive evidence.