dispose

1 of 2

verb

dis·​pose di-ˈspōz How to pronounce dispose (audio)
disposed; disposing

transitive verb

1
: to give a tendency to : incline
faulty diet disposes one to sickness
2
a
: to put in place : set in readiness : arrange
disposing troops for withdrawal
b
: bestow
c
obsolete : regulate

intransitive verb

1
: to settle a matter finally
2
obsolete : to come to terms
disposer noun

dispose

2 of 2

noun

1
obsolete : disposal
2
obsolete
b
Phrases
dispose of
1
a(1)
: to get rid of
how to dispose of toxic waste
(2)
: to deal with conclusively
disposed of the matter efficiently
b
: to transfer to the control of another
disposing of personal property to a total stranger
2
: to place, distribute, or arrange especially in an orderly way
disposing of the weapons in the new fort
Choose the Right Synonym for dispose

incline, bias, dispose, predispose mean to influence one to have or take an attitude toward something.

incline implies a tendency to favor one of two or more actions or conclusions.

I incline to agree

bias suggests a settled and predictable leaning in one direction and connotes unfair prejudice.

the experience biased him against foreigners

dispose suggests an affecting of one's mood or temper so as to incline one toward something.

her nature disposes her to trust others

predispose implies the operation of a disposing influence well in advance of the opportunity to manifest itself.

does fictional violence predispose them to accept real violence?

Examples of dispose in a Sentence

Verb looking for the perfect spot to dispose the new knickknack disposed the surgical instruments in the exact order in which they would be needed
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Since 2013, China has embarked on a national policy to turn its growing metropolises into sponge cities, which capture stormwater instead of disposing of it all. Matt Simon, WIRED, 15 Mar. 2024 Officials urge residents to follow any burn bans in effect, avoid parking vehicles with hot engines on dry grass and to properly dispose of cigarettes. Mary Gilbert, CNN, 13 Mar. 2024 Chiquita Canyon accepts about 2 million tons of garbage annually — roughly 34% of all municipal solid waste disposed of in the county. Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2024 But the other six sets of remains, found in early 2011, were disposed of differently. Corey Kilgannon, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2024 Storing embryos is also expensive -- as much as $1,000 a year -- so they are typically disposed of once people have decided they are done doing fertility treatments. Riley Griffin, arkansasonline.com, 26 Feb. 2024 All this mess would be sorted and sent to different waste centers to responsibly dispose of the material, according to Cain. Justin Wm. Moyer, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2024 Anderson, who has pleaded guilty to related charges of wire fraud and fraudulent use of identification, testified that Martin dismembered the victim’s corpse in the bathtub, before the pair disposed the body parts in Canarsie Park on April 8 and 9, 2018. Minnah Arshad, USA TODAY, 5 Mar. 2024 Nena Nix, 40, is charged with a class E felony after disposing of a corpse near the intersection of Duncan Road and Sweeney Road in Jackson County on Feb. 3, prosecutors allege, without properly reporting the location of the body to police. Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 5 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dispose.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French desposer, from Latin disponere to arrange (perfect indicative disposui), from dis- + ponere to put — more at position

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

1590, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of dispose was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near dispose

Cite this Entry

“Dispose.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dispose. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

dispose

verb
dis·​pose
dis-ˈpōz
disposed; disposing
1
: incline entry 1 sense 2
I was not disposed to go to the meeting
2
: to put in place or in readiness : arrange
you'll need more room to dispose your legs comfortably
disposer noun

More from Merriam-Webster on dispose

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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