temperament

[ tem-per-uh-muhnt, -pruh-muhnt, -per-muhnt ]

noun

1. the combination of mental, physical, and emotional traits of a person; natural predisposition.

   Synonyms: makeup, nature

2. unusual personal attitude or nature as manifested by peculiarities of feeling, temper, action, etc., often with a disinclination to submit to conventional rules or restraints.
3. (old physiology) the combination of the four cardinal humors, the relative proportions of which were supposed to determine physical and mental constitution.
4. Music.
   1. the tuning of a keyboard instrument, as the piano, organ, or harpsichord, so that the instrument may be played in all keys without further tuning.
   2. a particular system of doing this.
5. Archaic. an act of tempering or moderating.
6. Archaic. climate.

temperament

/ ˈtɛmpərəmənt; -prəmənt /

noun

1. an individual's character, disposition, and tendencies as revealed in his reactions
2. excitability, moodiness, or anger, esp when displayed openly

   an actress with temperament

3. See personality, character
   the characteristic way an individual behaves, esp towards other people See also character personality
4. 1. an adjustment made to the frequency differences between notes on a keyboard instrument to allow modulation to other keys
   2. any of several systems of such adjustment, such as just temperament, a system not practically possible on keyboard instruments, mean-tone temperament, a system giving an approximation to natural tuning, and equal temperament, the system commonly used in keyboard instruments, giving a scale based on an octave divided into twelve exactly equal semitones See also just intonation
5. obsolete.
   the characteristic way an individual behaves, viewed as the result of the influence of the four humours (blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile)
6. archaic.
   compromise or adjustment
7. See temperature
   an obsolete word for temperature

Word History and Origins

Origin of temperament¹

1375–1425; late Middle English < Latin temperāmentum due mixture, equivalent to temperā ( re ) to mix properly + -mentum -ment

Word History and Origins

Origin of temperament¹

C15: from Latin temperāmentum a mixing in proportion, from temperāre to temper

Synonym Study

See disposition.

Example Sentences

I’m curious if there’s any research on how a dog in daily life affects your trajectory, temperament, and so on.

From Freakonomics

ABA evaluators found that Barrett’s integrity, judicial temperament and academic charter “met the very high standards for appointment to the Supreme Court,” said Randall Noel, a Memphis attorney who led the review.

From Washington Post

In those cases, kids were able to connect with adults and peers throughout childhood regardless of temperament.

From Science News

Western societies, Mead concluded, had learned over time to associate specific temperaments with the social roles into which they placed the biological sexes.

From Nautilus

Maybe just describe some either actions or temperament or handling of a term of a Fed chair in medium-recent history — last four or five, six decades, whatever — that you just particularly admire.

From Freakonomics

He throws every fiber of his being into each performance, altering his posture, elocution, temperament, and more.

From The Daily Beast

He mistrusted the “shish-kebab temperament” of the conductor, the Armenian Alexander Melik-Pashayev.

From The Daily Beast

Héctor's older brothers Arturo and Alfredo were men with the right temperament to preside over a multinational crime syndicate.

From The Daily Beast

She was a little fairy and she flew around and she had a temperament.

From The Daily Beast

As left-wing biographer Rick Perlstein grants, Goldwater was a man of color-blind temperament, conviction, and personal action.

From The Daily Beast

The intellectual temperament finds voice in many great expressions, which are very Dante and also very Thomas, as Par.

From Project Gutenberg

The truth is, the modern "problematische Natur" has no charms for a transparent and simple temperament like his.

From Project Gutenberg

We had yet to learn the temperament of a capital, where every half-hour produced a total change of the popular mind.

From Project Gutenberg

This was a very strong expression of approbation, and an uncommonly hearty welcome from a person of Mr. Sikess temperament.

From Project Gutenberg

Much has been lost by adopting equal temperament, but more has been gained.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• attitude
• ego
• humor
• idiosyncrasy
• inclination
• individuality
• intellect
• mentality
• mettle
• mood
• nature
• outlook
• quality
• spirit
• tendency