mentality
Americannoun
plural
mentalities-
mental capacity or endowment.
a person of average mentality.
-
the set of one's mind; view; outlook.
a liberal mentality.
noun
-
the state or quality of mental or intellectual ability
-
a way of thinking; mental inclination or character
his weird mentality
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of mentality
Compare meaning
How does mentality compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
A mentality is a way of thinking or the ability to think and learn. If someone says you have the mentality of a kindergartener, that's great if you’re in kindergarten, but if you're in tenth grade, they're probably calling you immature. An obvious part of the noun mentality is the word "mental," which means "of the mind." How your mind works is your mentality, either in a way that's measured in school or testing, or in the way you think about things. A learned way of thinking comes from experiences; for example you might have a competitive mentality at mealtime because you share a table with nine brothers and sisters.
Vocabulary lists containing mentality
Farewell to Manzanar
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Ten Words from Today's Times - March 15, 2012
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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.
"We should stop this victim mentality," he told AFP.
From Barron's • May 13, 2026
There are lots of new tools, but there’s still an old-school mentality that’s resistant to new tools.
From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 2026
That mentality is one reason St. Göran’s rolls out productivity-enhancing tools like AI far faster than its state-run rivals.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 12, 2026
Those who worked with him at the club were as struck by Anderson's mentality, work-rate and resilience as much as his undoubted ability.
From BBC • May 10, 2026
Are you committed enough to salvage the wreckage of that mentality?’
From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole
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.
