attitude

American  

[at-i-tood, -tyood] / ˈæt ɪˌtud, -ˌtyud /

noun

1. manner, disposition, feeling, position, etc., with regard to a person or thing; tendency or orientation, especially of the mind.

   a negative attitude; group attitudes.

2. position or posture of the body appropriate to or expressive of an action, emotion, etc..

   a threatening attitude; a relaxed attitude.

3. Aeronautics. the inclination of the three principal axes of an aircraft relative to the wind, to the ground, etc.

4. Ballet. a pose in which the dancer stands on one leg, the other bent behind.

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attitude British  

/ ˈætɪˌtjuːd /

noun

1. the way a person views something or tends to behave towards it, often in an evaluative way

2. a theatrical pose created for effect (esp in the phrase strike an attitude )

3. a position of the body indicating mood or emotion

4. informal a hostile manner

   don't give me attitude, my girl

5. the orientation of an aircraft's axes in relation to some plane, esp the horizontal See also axis 1

6. the orientation of a spacecraft in relation to its direction of motion

7. ballet a classical position in which the body is upright and one leg raised and bent behind

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Synonym Usage

See position.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• attitudinal
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of attitude

First recorded in 1660–70; from French, from Italian attitudine, from Late Latin aptitūdini- (stem of aptitūdō ); see aptitude

Explanation

An attitude is somewhere between a belief, a stance, a mood, and a pose. If you've got an attitude about something, it can be hard to change it because you think you're right. You'll often hear Happy Hour referred to as "Attitude Adjustment Hour," because cheap drinks are one of the best ways to change your attitude. If you're in a bad mood, cocktails can make it better (or worse). An attitude is a way of thinking that you can express just by standing a certain way. For example, putting your hands on your hips and rolling your eyes expresses one kind of attitude, while kneeling with your palms together expresses a very different one.

Example Sentences

Her stats are decent, but her attitude stinks.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 7, 2026

“I think voters were looking for someone with a newer attitude towards politics.”

From Salon • Jun. 7, 2026

If we call the cops on teens violating a city curfew, it suggests a cavalier attitude toward the perils of the justice system.

From Slate • Jun. 2, 2026

But it did force me to rethink something else: my attitude toward service work.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 2, 2026

Behind that laid-back attitude and happy face, Arnold was nobody’s fool.

From "Lawn Boy Returns" by Gary Paulsen

Related Words

• angle
• approach
• belief
• demeanor
• mindset
• mood
• notion
• outlook
• perspective
• philosophy
• point of view
• position
• posture
• reaction
• sentiment
• slant
• stance
• stand
• standpoint
• temperament