mindset

or mind-set

[ mahynd-set ]

noun

1. a fixed attitude, disposition, or mood:

   His conservative mindset sometimes causes him to miss out on important opportunities.

   Her judgmental mindset has cost her a number of friendships.

2. an intention or inclination:

   I'm not sure what her mindset will be when you ask her about her plans.

Word History and Origins

Origin of mindset¹

First recorded in 1905–10; mind ( def ) + set ( def )

Example Sentences

It’s just entirely possible that Darth Vader had a radical mindset shift by the feeling of love being able to slip through the heavy armor of darkness that he has held up as a defense mechanism.

From Nautilus

The planner types have what the psychologist Patricia Chen, an assistant professor at the National University of Singapore, and Carol Dweck, the noted Stanford University psychologist and Chen’s former adviser, have identified as a strategic mindset.

From Quartz

With such integral information, you can discover your customers’ mindsets and preferences when it comes to purchasing your products.

From Search Engine Watch

That doesn’t mean that pessimism is better — Moore’s experiments found that pessimistic mindsets didn’t improve outcomes either.

From Freakonomics

To create an effective campaign you need to have basic marketing knowledge and an analytical mindset.

From Search Engine Watch

No longer does it constitute a reliable, middle class-based alternative to the corporatist mindset of the Republicans.

From The Daily Beast

In the mindset of the Coexist camp, those abstract beliefs have become twisted things, wrapped up with hate.

From The Daily Beast

By giving an artistic veto to a madman, we submit to the mindset of a slave.

From The Daily Beast

This mindset was reflected to the wider society through popular literature.

From The Daily Beast

The “smile through tears” had replaced the previous mindset that laughing was for the poor.

From The Daily Beast

Related Words

• attitude
• demeanor
• ethos
• frame of mind
• inclination
• mental state
• mentality
• mood
• perspective
• philosophy
• point of view
• sentiment
• temperament