mentality
Americannoun
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mentalities
plural
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mental capacity or endowment.
a person of average mentality.
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the set of one's mind; view; outlook.
a liberal mentality.
noun
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the state or quality of mental or intellectual ability
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a way of thinking; mental inclination or character
his weird mentality
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Etymology
Origin of mentality
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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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Our America
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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.
See Examples For:
Worth Girvan said the housing-first mentality works, but there should be more permanent supportive housing built instead of relying on interim hotel housing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
But his mentality was what really sold Riley.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026
He has been aided by injuries to Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, who swept the majors in the past two seasons, but a strengthened mentality and dedication to fitness has also helped.
From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026
To Rhoa, his star quality and mentality are non-negotiables of the job.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026
Variations of it account for some of the “grass is always greener” mentality that frequently accompanies the release of statistics on income.
From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos
Executing the plan requires rewiring mentalities, erasing almost a generation’s worth of habits.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 27, 2025
“One of the game’s great competitors, Ed’s ability to explain plays was unparalleled. Football mentalities of all ages understood and enjoyed the humor each Saturday. I look forward to Eddie’s continued involvement on game day.”
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 22, 2024
One result of these tiresome mentalities is something that has come up in conversations with many creative people over the years: being well-adjusted, kind, unproblematic, and efficient often does not help them get ahead.
From Salon ● Jun. 7, 2023
"Now we talk about mentalities because we won. And I don't believe in that. I defend the team when we lose and they had the same mentality," added Guardiola.
From BBC ● May 19, 2023
They—and he—cared about one thing; this fusion of their mentalities oriented their attention on the hill, the climb, the need to ascend.
From "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick
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.
