attitude
Americannoun
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manner, disposition, feeling, position, etc., with regard to a person or thing; tendency or orientation, especially of the mind.
a negative attitude; group attitudes.
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position or posture of the body appropriate to or expressive of an action, emotion, etc..
a threatening attitude; a relaxed attitude.
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Aeronautics. the inclination of the three principal axes of an aircraft relative to the wind, to the ground, etc.
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Ballet. a pose in which the dancer stands on one leg, the other bent behind.
noun
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the way a person views something or tends to behave towards it, often in an evaluative way
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a theatrical pose created for effect (esp in the phrase strike an attitude )
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a position of the body indicating mood or emotion
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informal a hostile manner
don't give me attitude, my girl
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the orientation of an aircraft's axes in relation to some plane, esp the horizontal See also axis 1
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the orientation of a spacecraft in relation to its direction of motion
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ballet a classical position in which the body is upright and one leg raised and bent behind
Related Words
See position.
Other Word 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.
Vocabulary lists containing attitude
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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Argumentative Writing, List 1
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The AP English Exam: The Language of the Test
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“The attitude was that this is a frill, just like art and music. Not essential.”
From Salon • Apr. 26, 2026
The press’s gooey attitude was justified as relief from the daily bitterness of politics.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026
"I've always loved the attitude of LA," he says, adding that he's had a home here since the 1970s.
From BBC • Apr. 23, 2026
“I’ve always just had a positive attitude, no matter what happens. You just have to think and realize there’s always light at the other side, in some way, shape, or form.”
From MarketWatch • Apr. 23, 2026
Her defiant attitude melted away and tears began to stream down her face.
From "City Spies" by James Ponti
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
