mentality
Americannoun
-
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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Ten Words from Today's Times - March 15, 2012
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Our America
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
But Faricy said any future vehicles would be grounded by Slate’s mentality of keeping things simple and affordable.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 24, 2026
During the 2025 postseason, Randle shook his reputation for fading in the playoffs, crediting his perseverance to a mentality instilled in him many years earlier by Bryant.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 23, 2026
"He brings the kind of builder mentality and global perspective that will serve him well in running the world's biggest messaging app."
From Barron's • Jun. 23, 2026
Where the mentality gets interesting and, perhaps to some, complicated, is if Scotland lose by a goal or two, or even three, and still make it into the next round.
From BBC • Jun. 21, 2026
As it is, you are thwarting yourself and your 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.
