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temperament

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tem⋅per⋅a⋅ment

  [tem-per-uh-muhnt, -pruh-muhnt, -per-muhnt]
Use temperament in a Sentence
–noun
1. the combination of mental, physical, and emotional traits of a person; natural predisposition.
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.
a. 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.
b. a particular system of doing this.
5. Archaic. an act of tempering or moderating.
6. Archaic. climate.
Origin:
1375–1425; late ME < L temperāmentum due mixture, equiv. to temperā(re) to mix properly + -mentum -ment

Synonyms:
1. nature, makeup. See disposition.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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tem·per·a·ment   (těm'prə-mənt, těm'pər-ə-)   
n.  

    1. The manner of thinking, behaving, or reacting characteristic of a specific person: a nervous temperament. See Synonyms at disposition.

    2. The distinguishing mental and physical characteristics of a human according to medieval physiology, resulting from dominance of one of the four humors.

  2. Excessive irritability or sensitiveness: an actor with too much temperament.

  3. Music Equal temperament.


[Middle English, from Latin temperāmentum, from temperāre, to temper; see temper.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

temperament 
c.1412, "proportioned mixture of elements," from L. temperamentum "proper mixture," from temperare "to mix" (see temper). In medieval theory, it meant a combination of qualities (hot, cold, moist, dry) that determined the nature of an organism; this was extended to a combination of the four humors (sanguine, choleric, phlegmatic, and melancholic) that made up a person's characteristic disposition. General sense of "habit of mind, natural disposition" is from 1821. Temperamental "of or pertaining to temperament" is from 1646; in the sense of "moody" it is recorded from 1907.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: tem·per·a·ment
Pronunciation: 'tem-p(&-)r&-m&nt, -p&r-m&nt
Function: noun
1 : the peculiar ordistinguishing mental or physical character determined by the relative proportions of the humors according to medieval physiology
2 : characteristic or habitual inclination or modeof emotional response temperament>
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

temperament tem·per·a·ment (těm'prə-mənt, těm'pər-ə-)
n.

  1. The manner of thinking, behaving, or reacting characteristic of a specific person.

  2. Disposition; temper.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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