Meaning & use
temperament
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Meanings
nouncountable or uncountable
A person's usual way of reacting emotionally and behaviorally, especially their typical mood.
Grammar: Can be countable ('a calm temperament') or uncountable ('by temperament').
Patterns
- a calm temperament
- by temperament
- have a temperament
His calm temperament makes him well-suited for emergency work.
She has an artistic temperament and is easily moved by music.
The twins have very different temperaments, even though they were raised the same way.
nouncountable or uncountabledisapproving
The tendency to become angry or upset easily.
Grammar: Often used with 'a' or 'the' when referring to a specific instance.
Patterns
- a violent temperament
- have a temperament
- show a temperament
He has a temperament that makes him difficult to work with.
Her fiery temperament often got her into arguments.
Word forms
| plural | temperaments |
|---|
Common combinations
- calm temperament
- His calm temperament helps him handle stress.
- artistic temperament
- She has an artistic temperament and is very sensitive.
- by temperament
- By temperament, he is cautious and quiet.
- a temperament for something
- He doesn't have the temperament for teaching young children.
Synonyms and how they differ
- disposition
- More formal; refers to a natural tendency to act in a certain way, while temperament emphasizes emotional reactions.
- nature
- Broad and general; can refer to character as a whole, not just emotional tendencies.
- personality
- The whole pattern of thinking, feeling, and behaving, shaped by both nature and experience, whereas temperament is more innate.
Word family
- temperamental adjective
- Moody or easily upset; also relating to temperament.
- temperamentally adverb
- In terms of temperament; 'temperamentally unsuited'.
Commonly confused: temperament or temperature? temperament or temper?
temperament vs temperature
Temperature is how hot or cold something is; temperament is a person's emotional nature.
temperament vs temper
Temper is a state of anger or a tendency to get angry; temperament is the broader emotional makeup.
Practice
His calm ___ makes him a good negotiator.
Choose one answer.
Temperament refers to a person's emotional nature, which fits 'calm'. Temperature is a physical measure, temper is a tendency to anger, and temperance is moderation, especially in drinking.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “temperament”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.