What does predispose mean?
Predispose means to make someone more likely to think, feel, or behave in a particular way. It usually describes a tendency that exists before a particular event or experience, often with unfavorable consequences: for example, poverty may predispose children to educational difficulties, while certain genetic factors can predispose a person to a medical condition. The standard construction is “predispose someone to something,” and the closely related adjective “predisposed” is especially common in medical, scientific, and psychological writing. Although “predispose” can describe a neutral predisposition, its frequent association with risk, illness, prejudice, and anticipated problems gives it a serious, cautionary tone. It is more precise than simply saying that something “causes” an outcome, because a predisposition creates a likelihood rather than guaranteeing the result. The word is also useful in discussing how circumstances, experiences, assumptions, or inherited traits can influence behavior before the relevant response occurs.
verbTo make someone more likely to think, feel, or act in a particular way, especially in an unfavorable or unintended sense. It is commonly used with the construction “predispose someone to something.”
- To make someone more likely to think, feel, or act in a particular way, especially in an unfavorable or unintended sense.
- To arrange or dispose something beforehand; now rare or archaic.
"Prolonged exposure to stress can predispose people to anxiety and depression."
"A family history of heart disease may predispose an otherwise healthy person to cardiovascular problems."
"The report warns that a single disputed incident can predispose the public to distrust the inquiry."
To predispose is to tilt the scales in advance: the word literally means “to arrange beforehand.”
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does predispose come from?
Predispose entered English in the early 17th century from French prédisposer, itself derived from Medieval Latin praedisposere, meaning “to arrange or dispose beforehand.” The Latin prefix prae- means “before,” while disponere means “to arrange” or “to dispose.” Its modern sense developed from the idea of placing someone in a state or frame of mind in advance of later circumstances.
Related word forms
How predispose is actually used
Predispose is a formal transitive verb, normally followed by an object and the preposition “to”: “predispose someone to something.” It often carries an adverse or cautionary connotation, although it is also used neutrally in medical and scientific contexts, as in “genetically predisposed to a condition.” British speakers generally pronounce the final syllable as /spəʊz/, while the common American pronunciation is /spoʊz/.
Easily confused with predispose
A preposition is a grammatical word such as “in,” “on,” or “with,” whereas “predispose” is a verb meaning to make someone inclined toward a response or action.
To prejudge is to form an opinion before considering the relevant evidence, while “predispose” describes an existing tendency that may influence a response without necessarily involving a premature judgment.