predispose

as in to influence
formal to cause (someone) to be more likely to behave in a particular way or to be affected by a particular condition Past experiences have predisposed her to distrust people. Researchers have identified a gene that may predispose some people to the disease.

Synonyms & Similar Words

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How is the word predispose different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of predispose are bias, dispose, and incline. While all these words mean "to influence one to have or take an attitude toward something," predispose implies the operation of a disposing influence well in advance of the opportunity to manifest itself.

does fictional violence predispose them to accept real violence?

When is it sensible to use bias instead of predispose?

The words bias and predispose are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, bias suggests a settled and predictable leaning in one direction and connotes unfair prejudice.

the experience biased him against foreigners

When is dispose a more appropriate choice than predispose?

While the synonyms dispose and predispose are close in meaning, dispose suggests an affecting of one's mood or temper so as to incline one toward something.

her nature disposes her to trust others

Where would incline be a reasonable alternative to predispose?

While in some cases nearly identical to predispose, incline implies a tendency to favor one of two or more actions or conclusions.

I incline to agree

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of predispose But the other aspects of being in the spotlight may not have been something that he was genetically or behaviorally predisposed to handle in a kind of standard, professional way, and especially at that young age. Chris Willman, Variety, 28 Dec. 2024 Understanding these genes can provide insight into why certain individuals are predisposed to hair loss. Sarah Jividen, Verywell Health, 16 Dec. 2024 Follow-up experiments in mice revealed tweaks to gene expression that predispose cells in obese mice to faster growth—and these changes persisted long after the animals lost weight. Christie Wilcox, science.org, 19 Nov. 2024 Copeland, Anderson’s editor on the book, knew the public was predisposed to regard Anderson with blithe dismissiveness, if not gleeful cruelty. The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for predispose 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for predispose
Verb
  • Performers Andy Marder, Tyler Stamets and Martin Theiler have been influenced by bluegrass, rockabilly and country music genres.
    Julie Gallant, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Feb. 2025
  • Like so many other products influenced by machine learning, Spotify’s playlists can’t generate something new—say, a wholly fresh and unheard sound—for its users.
    Brad Shoup, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Cotton leaned hard on the White House to persuade, not pressure, arguing that an overly combative approach could be counterproductive for people like Young.
    Stef W. Kight, Axios, 4 Feb. 2025
  • Due to those risks, local officials were able to persuade corps officials to reduce the amount of water initially planned for release.
    Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 4 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • One day, Dieter convinced his brother to run away from home and explore the forest.
    Ben Travers, IndieWire, 7 Feb. 2025
  • And not everyone is convinced that the presence of scaly skin means plesiosaurs were hanging out on the seafloor.
    Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Feb. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near predispose

Cite this Entry

“Predispose.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/predispose. Accessed 20 Feb. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on predispose

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