dispositional

[ dis-puh-zish-uh-nl ]

adjective

1. of or relating to a natural and characteristic mental or emotional outlook or mood:

   These results provide a framework for understanding the mechanisms that underlie chronic worry and dispositional anxiety.

2. of or relating to a natural tendency, whether of a person or a thing, toward a particular condition or action:

   She shows a dispositional preference for order and predictability.

   Two classic examples of the dispositional properties of objects are that vases are fragile and sugar cubes are soluble.

3. of or relating to the final settlement of a matter:

   The judge in this case has a wide range of dispositional options available to fulfill the rehabilitative goals of the Code of Juvenile Justice.

Word History and Origins

Origin of dispositional¹

disposition ( def ) + -al ¹( def )

Example Sentences

In an order Thursday, an administrative law judge for the Department of Safety said Zhukovskyy is subject to a state law that allows his license to be suspended for up to seven years and that a dispositional hearing will be scheduled later.

From Seattle Times

Eaton is due in court in Bath on June 28 for a dispositional conference.

From Seattle Times

Defense attorney Paul Engh said the defense would be seeking a “dispositional departure” from sentencing guidelines.

From Seattle Times

Under state statues, a mitigated dispositional departure occurs when guidelines recommend a prison sentence, but a judge allows the sentence to be “stayed” — meaning the defendant doesn’t go to prison.

From Seattle Times

Eric Nelson, the defense attorney who represented Chauvin in his weeks-long trial earlier this year, argued in recent court papers that the "requisite substantial and compelling circumstances" exist for a downward dispositional departure, meaning an instance in which the judge hands down a sentence that is shorter than what sentencing guidelines would typically suggest.

From Fox News