These words refer to a person’s mental make-up or emotional state. Temperament applies most commonly to a cast of mind that is revealed by the fixed or habitual ways a person responds to life; the word may suggest either an innate or a learnt pattern, but it does point to something deeply ingrained or unconscious rather than something reflecting an arbitrary or conscious choice. Otherwise, the word can indicate any sort of mental or emotional state: a basically frivolous temperament ; a temperament marked by restless curiosity. The word can also typify a group of people: the no-nonsense temperament of the British. When unqualified, it indicates a tendency towards intense and moody rebelliousness; this is a more informal use of the word: a child full of temperament .

Disposition can refer to an enduring frame of mind, whether innate or learnt, but it points more strictly to emotional qualities that are only one part of the more formal temperament: a grouchy disposition ; her usually sunny disposition . It contrasts most sharply with temperament in that it can be used for transitory emotional states: coming to work in a foul disposition . Nature , in contrast to all these words, is the most emphatic about the innate also the widest range of traits, including emotional, mental and physical qualities: by nature a timid little man of mediocre intelligence; those natures that are unhesitatingly magnanimous and compassionate. It is also the only one of these words that is commonly used when generalizing about traits inherent in mankind as a whole: anthropologists who have successfully challenged our culture-bound notions about the nature of man.

Character and personality both point to aggregations of mental and emotional traits, innate and learnt, that distinguish one person from another. Character points to the fully developed life-style of an adult or group and often relates to moral fibre: drinking companions of questionable character ; the stern but resourceful character of the Pilgrim Fathers. Personality pertains more to the whole indefinable emotional colouration that a specific person gives off: the young girl’s winsome personality ; a personality crippled by arrogance and impatience. Used without qualification, character suggests moral forcefulness, personality emotional appeal: He has character but no personality. In this use, the word can apply to anything thought to exhibit these qualities, especially when they are distinctive in their force or appeal: a face with character ; paintings completely lacking in character ; a striking city, full of personality . The latter word, used in this way, has become so popular that it is in danger of sounding trite through over-use.