disposal
noun
dis·pos·al
di-ˈspō-zəl 
1
: the power or authority to make use of as one chooses : the power or authority to dispose of something
The car was at my disposal.
2
: the act or process of disposing: such as
a
: orderly placement or distribution
the disposal of troops along the ridge
b
c
: the act or action of presenting or bestowing (see bestow sense 4) something
disposal of favors
the disposal of property
d
: systematic destruction
especially
: destruction or transformation of garbage
trash disposal
the disposal of nuclear waste
3
[garbage disposal unit]
: a device used to reduce waste matter (as by grinding)
putting food scraps down the disposal
Examples of disposal in a Sentence
the disposal of nuclear waste
trash disposal is on Wednesday in our neighborhood
Recent Examples on the Web
Separate these items into their own box for hazardous waste disposal, along with any old batteries.
—
Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 2 Jan. 2026
Addressing the waste crisis Connecticut ships approximately 40-42% of its municipal solid waste, or about 860,000 to 940,000 tons annually, out of state for disposal, primarily to landfills in Pennsylvania and Ohio, according to the state’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.
—Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 2 Jan. 2026
The Bulls have a bevy of role players at their disposal — Kevin Huerter, Zach Collins, Ayo Dosunmu, Jalen Smith — who can be neatly parceled together.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 2 Jan. 2026
China, along with many other countries, is exploring the use of robots for police work and security tasks, such as bomb disposal, surveillance, and threat detection.
—Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 31 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for disposal
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Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 2 Jan. 2026
Addressing the waste crisis Connecticut ships approximately 40-42% of its municipal solid waste, or about 860,000 to 940,000 tons annually, out of state for disposal, primarily to landfills in Pennsylvania and Ohio, according to the state’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.
—Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 2 Jan. 2026
The Bulls have a bevy of role players at their disposal — Kevin Huerter, Zach Collins, Ayo Dosunmu, Jalen Smith — who can be neatly parceled together.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 2 Jan. 2026
China, along with many other countries, is exploring the use of robots for police work and security tasks, such as bomb disposal, surveillance, and threat detection.
—Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 31 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for disposal
Cite this Entry
“Disposal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disposal. Accessed 5 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
disposal
noun
dis·pos·al
dis-ˈpō-zəl
1
: the right or power to use or control something : command
funds at our disposal
2
: an orderly arrangement
the disposal of troops for battle
3
: a getting rid of or putting out of the way
trash disposal
5
: the transfer of something to a new owner
a disposal of property
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