disposal
disposal — noun
1. the process of throwing away or destroying something that is no longer wanted or
the process of throwing away or destroying something that is no longer wanted or needed, such as household trash, old furniture, or industrial waste.
The city charges a fee for the disposal of old furniture and large household items.
disposal + of + noun phrase for unwanted objects
Yuna took the used batteries to the recycling center for proper disposal.
proper disposal — common adjective collocation
Improper waste disposal can pollute rivers and harm local wildlife.
waste disposal — compound noun
The factory was fined for the illegal disposal of toxic chemicals into the river.
illegal disposal — negative register collocation
Otis signed a contract with a company that handles construction waste disposal.
construction waste disposal — domain-specific compound
- waste disposal
- garbage disposal
- proper disposal
- safe disposal
- disposal of [something]
- illegal disposal
- final disposal
- removal
broader; can refer to moving something away rather than destroying it
- elimination
more formal; often used in technical or medical contexts
- discarding
less formal; focuses on the act of throwing something away
- retention
keeping something instead of throwing it away
- preservation
keeping something safe or in good condition
Grammar Patterns
disposal + of + noun phrase
Common Mistakes
2. the state of being available for someone to use freely, in the fixed phrase 'at
the state of being available for someone to use freely, in the fixed phrase 'at someone's disposal' — meaning that a person can use a resource, service, or helper whenever they need to.
The hotel keeps a car and driver at the guests' disposal during their stay.
at [someone's] disposal — fixed phrase showing availability
Dr. Niran kept a well-stocked medical kit at his disposal in the clinic.
at his disposal — possessive determiner + disposal
Students have a quiet study room at their disposal every evening until ten.
With the latest design software at her disposal, Madison finished the project in two days.
The research team has a large budget at its disposal for the new experiment.
at its disposal — used with institutions and organizations
- at [someone's] disposal
- at your disposal
- at their disposal
- availability
direct synonym but used in different grammatical structures ('the availability of something')
- unavailability
the state of not being accessible or ready for use
Grammar Patterns
at + possessive determiner + disposal
Usage Note
This sense of 'disposal' appears almost exclusively in the fixed phrase 'at someone's disposal'. Outside this phrase, 'disposal' does not carry the meaning of availability.
Common Mistakes
3. an electric machine attached under a kitchen sink that cuts food waste into very
an electric machine attached under a kitchen sink that cuts food waste into very small pieces so it can flow away through the water pipes.
The new apartment comes with a garbage disposal installed under the kitchen sink.
garbage disposal — compound noun for the appliance
Tendai accidentally dropped a metal spoon into the disposal and heard a loud grinding noise.
drop [something] into the disposal - verb + object pattern
You should run cold water while using the disposal to wash down the food scraps.
After the disposal stopped working, the plumber fixed it and removed the bad smell.
Aylin asked the landlord to replace the old disposal because it made a terrible noise.
- garbage disposal
- kitchen disposal
- disposal unit
- use the disposal
- fix the disposal
- install a disposal
- waste disposal unit
British English term for the same appliance
- garbage grinder
informal term, less common
Grammar Patterns
the disposal
a disposal
garbage disposal
Usage Note
This sense is most common in American English. In British English, the same device is usually called a 'waste disposal unit'.
Something that is available for you to use whenever you want.
The company keeps a small library at its employees' disposal.
If you need help, I am at your disposal all afternoon.
Word family
- disposeverbB1
- disposableadjectiveB1
- disposedadjectiveB2
- dispositionnounC1
Common collocations
Etymology
From Latin 'disponere' meaning 'to arrange, distribute, or set in order', formed from 'dis-' (apart) + 'ponere' (to place). The sense shifted from 'arrangement' to 'control' and eventually to 'getting rid of' in the 16th-17th centuries.