temperament

• Nom désignant la disposition naturelle et habituelle d'une personne ou d'un animal, son caractère ou son humeur dominante, ainsi que la propension à l'excitabilité émotionnelle et à l'irritabilité.

A noun referring to a person's or animal's natural, habitual mood or disposition, or to a tendency towards emotional excitability and irritability.

1. Characteristic moodB2formal

   A person's or animal's natural, typical way of thinking, behaving, or reacting.

   tempérament

   • She has a calm and patient temperament.
   • His cheerful temperament makes him popular at work.
   • The dog's gentle temperament makes it a great family pet.

   Synonymescharacterconstitutiondispositionmakeupnaturepersonalitytemper

2. Emotional sensitivityB2formal

   A tendency to become emotional, irritable, or excited easily, often displayed openly.

   Sensibilité émotionnelle

   • The actor was known for his fiery temperament on set.
   • Her temperament often leads to arguments over small issues.
   • He struggled to control his temperament during the heated debate.

   Synonymesemotionalityexcitabilityirritabilitysensitivitytouchiness

3. Musical tuning adjustmentC2formalart

   A system of adjusting the intervals between notes on a keyboard instrument so that it can play in different musical keys.

   Tempérament (accord musical)

   • The piano was tuned using equal temperament.
   • Bach's 'Well-Tempered Clavier' was written to showcase the possibilities of temperament.
   • Different temperaments affect the sound of chords in historical music.

   Synonymestempertuning