herd mentality

American

[hurd-men-tal-i-tee] / ˈhɜrd mɛnˌtæl ɪ ti /

noun

plural

herd mentalities

the inclination among members of a group to follow what they perceive to be the prevailing attitudes and behavior of the group instead of making their own decisions and assertions.

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.

Many times, groupthink and herd mentality can prevent bad ideas from being spotted and canceled before they become larger failures.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 17, 2026

She says it was fuelled by a "herd mentality".

From BBC • Jan. 17, 2026

Borgli parallels this vision with a concomitant one of destructive herd mentality, and how easy it is for a mob to form.

From New York Times • Apr. 12, 2024

In natural ecosystems, the herd mentality plays a major role -- from schools of fish, to beehives to ant colonies.

From Science Daily • Apr. 3, 2024

With the continued spread of herd mentality the number seems not unlikely to grow smaller yet.

From The Forerunners by Rolland, Romain

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023