mindset
Americannoun
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mindsets
plural
-
a fixed attitude, disposition, or mood.
His conservative mindset sometimes causes him to miss out on important opportunities.
Her judgmental mindset has cost her a number of friendships.
-
an intention or inclination.
I'm not sure what her mindset will be when you ask her about her plans.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of mindset
First recorded in 1905–10; mind ( def. ) + set ( def. )
Compare meaning
How does mindset compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
A person's usual attitude or mental state is his or her mindset. If you have an environmentalist mindset, you probably bring your own bags to the grocery store. Some examples of mindsets include an optimist's sunny perspective on life, a business owner's entrepreneurial way of thinking, or an Army general's military focus. Sometimes, a mindset spreads between people in a group and colors the entire group's outlook — psychologists call this groupthink. The noun mindset was first used in the 1930s to mean "habits of mind formed by previous experience."
Vocabulary lists containing mindset
"My Left Foot" and "Success Is a Mind-Set"
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"Mindsets in the Classroom"
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Everything We Never Had
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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:
Each edition featured a tropical cocktail recipe as well as tips on improving business skills and one’s mindset.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2026
Optical networking pioneer Ciena is navigating the uncertainties of the artificial intelligence boom with the same mindset that helped it survive the depths of the telecom bust.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026
With one session a month for eight months, he covers building a financial mindset, saving for retirement, investing, financing college, insurance and trust-and-will planning.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 26, 2026
Into this arena of resentment and intransigence, a new Haredi party has emerged this year, presenting itself as a break with the traditional mindset of Shas and UTJ.
From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2026
When he’d said “lines,” my vocabulary was still in the mindset of being a telephone operator.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
These included quotes by Fanon, a philosopher who wrote extensively about the ways in which colonized people adopt the mindsets of their oppressors.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026
A woman who challenged herself to try 50 new things before turning 50 is building a community to change women's mindsets around being middle-aged.
From BBC ● Apr. 12, 2026
“It’s funny, ‘cause I’ve had people recognize me, but majority of the time, their mindsets are on real estate.”
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 3, 2026
“The way consumers’ mindsets are right now, we’re still dealing with inflation, with negative consumer sentiment.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 5, 2026
Tragedy offered moral lessons about leadership, justice and collective welfare, while comedy delivered irreverent critiques of politicians and popular mindsets.
From Salon ● Apr. 13, 2025
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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.
