mentality
Americannoun
-
mentalities
plural
-
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.
See Examples For:
Speaking about the mentality of elite athletes, she said: "They're so hyper-vigilant on winning and doing the best that they can, putting their training to good use and showcasing their fitness to the world."
From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026
“That’s the mentality needed in terms of being an investor in Micron at this stage,” Chin said.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 21, 2026
And many sellers had a “here is my price, make me move” mentality.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 11, 2026
“I saw a confident demeanor, one that was ready to accept the challenge. … A “bring it on” kind of mentality.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 10, 2026
I stayed in the living room and watched television, and when my mentality couldn’t stand that any longer, I went upstairs.
From "The Pigman" by Paul Zindel
Executing the plan requires rewiring mentalities, erasing almost a generation’s worth of habits.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 27, 2025
"Unfortunately, my surgical placements were all with, let's say, school surgeons who would have different mentalities to what we have today," she says.
From BBC ● Nov. 8, 2024
“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
There are some hateful mentalities not worth interrogating.
From Salon ● Jan. 2, 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
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
