Predisposition is a real noun and a useful word to describe someone’s tendency to hold a specific attitude or act in a particular way. It can also be used to describe conditions that lead to results, such as a genetic condition that leads to cancer in families.
Predisposition can be confused with disposition. Disposition refers to someone’s attitude or mood. Predisposition refers to tendencies based on preexisting conditions.
It can also be used in the verb form of predispose, meaning susceptible to something like a disease.
Sentences that would illustrate the proper use of predisposition and predispose include:
Nancy was predisposed to violence because she spent all her spare time playing violent video games.
Billy regularly went to the doctor for checkups because his family medical history gave him a predisposition for cancer.
Children who have had family members injured by wild animals can have a predisposition to avoid camping trips.
Mischievious is not a word, although close. We often hear it on television interviews, and it always gives you a little cringe for the speaker. Usually, the person is referring to a young person who is being mischievous and just gets that extra “i” in there.
Fortunately, for now, all the spell checkers and online dictionaries recognize the mistake and flag the non-word.
