French word

prédisposer

Pronunciation

IPA/pʁedispoze/

Meaning

  • verbmake susceptible

Example

Le tabac prédispose aux maladies pulmonaires.

Tobacco makes people susceptible to lung disease.

Illustration for prédisposer (make susceptible)

More examples

Le stress peut prédisposer une personne à la dépression.

Stress can predispose a person to depression.

Core concept

A person or thing is placed in conditions that make a later state, response, or illness more likely.

Common phrases

  • prédisposer quelqu'un à

    predispose someone to

  • prédisposer à une maladie

    predispose to a disease

Similar words

favoriser: Create conditions that make something more likely to happen.
exposer: Leave a person or thing open to danger or harm.
rendre: Cause a person or thing to enter a particular state.

Definition in French

Faire en sorte qu'une personne ou une chose ait davantage de chances de développer un état, un comportement ou une maladie.

Word origin

French prédisposer combines pré- ('before') with disposer ('to arrange'), expressing the idea of arranging conditions in advance.

Usage tips

  • The usual pattern is prédisposer quelqu'un à quelque chose, with à introducing a noun or an infinitive.

Other meanings

  • inclineverb
  • predisposeverb

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word