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temperament Definition

tem·pera·ment (tem′pər ə mənt, -prə mənt)

noun

  1. Obsolete the act or an instance of tempering; proportionate mixture or balance of ingredients
  2. in medieval physiology, any of the four conditions of body and mind, the sanguine, phlegmatic, choleric (or bilious), and melancholic temperaments, attributed to an excess of one of the four corresponding humors
  3. one's customary frame of mind or natural disposition; nature a man of even temperament
  4. a nature that is excitable, moody, capricious, volatile, etc. the temperament of a prima donna
  5. Obsolete
    1. climate
    2. temperature
  6. Music a system of adjustment of the intervals between the tones of an instrument of fixed intonation: it may be pure temperament, in which the intervals are set exactly according to theory, or equal temperament, as in a piano, in which the pitch of the tones is slightly adjusted to make them suitable for all keys

Etymology: ME < L temperamentum, proper mixing < temperare: see temper

temperament Synonyms

temperament

n.

character, disposition, constitution, nature, inner nature, quality, temper, spirit, mood, attitude, type, structure, make-up, humor, mood, outlook, peculiarity, individuality, personality, idiosyncrasy, distinctiveness, psychological habits, mentality, intellect, intellectual capacity, susceptibility, ego, inclination, tendency, turn of mind*.

temperament Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • possess: His occasional goals were often real gems and he possessed a temperament which sometimes made him seem much more mature than his years.
  • lay: He is such a nice natured horse, he loves attention has a lovely laid back temperament.
  • have: We simply do not have the temperament to make good soldiers.
  • display: Roughly the size of Scotland, Lake Malawi displays the temperament of a fully fledged sea.
  • know: This way you can discover things like known temperament or genetic problems and know what to expect from your chosen breed.
  • show: Keep in mind, many, many charts will show two strong temperaments, maybe with one having a slight edge.

Adjective modifier

  • sanguine: His sanguine temperament was disclosed in the deep color of his cheeks.
  • mercurial: Erv had worked with John previously, and seemed the only person prepared to ride the waves of John's mercurial temperament.
  • excitable: Mr. Soames was a tall, spare man, of a nervous and excitable temperament.
  • melancholic: Winter is a melancholy time and Saturn governs the melancholic temperament.
  • fiery: His fiery temperament earned him the nickname of the ' Red Monk ' .
  • placid: They are adaptable, providing ease of management, and have placid temperaments.

Modifies a noun

  • style: Which of the following primary temperament styles describes you best?
  • problem: Rabbits with dental disease or temperament problems are not offered for adoption.

Noun used with modifier

  • meantone: Modified meantone temperament was still being used by English organ builders, including Willis, as late as the 1850s.
  • kind: Excellent quality, lovely paces, calm, kind temperament.

Possessives

  • child: Children's temperament affected the tenor of family relationships.
  • dog: Bill's response, because he can obviously read his dog's temperament, is a comforting hug on the chin.

Preposition: of

  • horse: As for the other I think it depends on the temperament of the horse you get.
  • dog: Its current focus is on a genetics project aimed at improving the temperament of dog breeding stock.
temperament Quotes

Artistic temperament†sometimes seems a battleground for a dark angel of destruction and a bright angel of creativity wrestling.

—L'Engle, Madeleine married name Mrs Hugh Franklin

I am actually not at all a man of science† I am by temperament nothing but a conquistador, an adventurer.

—Freud, Sigmund

Thereisprobablyagreater premiumontemperamentfor a batsman than for any player in any branch of sport.

—Bradman, Sir Don(ald George)

I have the satiric temperament: when I am laughing at anyone I am generally rather amusing, but when I am praising anyone, I am always deadly dull.

—Beerbohm, Sir (Henry) Max(imilian)

   It is on occasions such as these that I thank God for my sanguine temperament, which refuses to allow me to believe in disaster until it is finally manifest.

—Murphy, Dervla