Character or disposition (11) Crossword Clue
Answer: TEMPERAMENT (11 letters)
The answer to the crossword clue "Character or disposition" with 11 letters is "TEMPERAMENT".Temperament refers to a person's characteristic mood, behavior, or personality traits, often influencing how they react to situations. It encompasses a range of emotional tendencies, from calm and composed to more excitable or volatile, and is an essential aspect of an individual's overall nature.
Why “Temperament” Fits
The clue asks for a single word (11 letters) meaning “character or disposition.” The answer, TEMPERAMENT, fits perfectly:
- Character or disposition: Temperament describes a person’s inherent nature, emotional attitude, or typical mood — an exact synonym for “character” and “disposition.”
- Direct match: With eleven letters, temperament fits the enumeration precisely.
- Precise meaning: The word captures someone’s natural tendencies toward certain reactions or behaviors, aligning seamlessly with the clue’s description of personality or inner nature.
Temperament is a classic term used to describe individuality and innate psychological patterns:
- Origin and usage: From Latin temperamentum (“proper mixture or balance”), derived from temperare (“to mix or moderate”). The term originally referred to the balance of bodily humors in ancient medical theory, believed to determine a person’s mood or disposition.
Evolution of meaning:
- In medieval medicine, one’s temperament was thought to result from the proportion of four bodily fluids — blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile.
- In modern psychology, it refers to inborn traits influencing mood and behavior, often considered the foundation of personality.
Contexts:
- Everyday: “He has a calm temperament that helps him handle stress.”
- Scientific: “Temperament is often linked to early childhood development studies.”
- Artistic: “A fiery temperament is common among passionate performers.”
Examples:
- “Her cheerful temperament makes her easy to get along with.”
- “The dog’s gentle temperament makes it ideal for families.”
- “He showed the artistic temperament of a composer.”
In quick crosswords like “Character or disposition (11),” the clue is a clear definition clue — concise and direct:
- Definition: Both “character” and “disposition” point directly toward temperament, since they are interchangeable when describing enduring personal traits.
- Clue structure: Straightforward definition clues like this are common in Quick Crosswords, often testing one’s grasp of nuanced synonyms.
- Comparative vocabulary: Other possible answers like personality (11) or temper (7) might appear relevant, but only temperament offers the precise balance of meaning and enumeration required.
Conceptual distinction:
- Character often refers to moral or ethical qualities.
- Temperament focuses more on emotional and behavioral tendencies — hence the better fit for “disposition.”
