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siege mentality

American  

noun

  1. a state of mind whereby one believes that one is being constantly attacked, oppressed, or isolated.


siege mentality British  

noun

  1. a state of mind in which a person believes that he or she is being constantly oppressed or attacked

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of siege mentality

First recorded in 1965–70

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.

When Fabien Galthie had his bizarre pop at the size of the away dressing room at Murrayfield, was that his attempt at creating a siege mentality?

From BBC • Mar. 7, 2026

The siege mentality of these gated communities exacted an immense human toll on employees, struggling for essentials like water or electricity.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 8, 2026

He created a siege mentality which served Forest well and, despite both being big characters, it appeared a perfect match between him and Marinakis.

From BBC • Sep. 8, 2025

Pre-tournament comments have included how he believes Wales can win the tournament, how he is building "a siege mentality" and how people should write his side off "at their peril".

From BBC • Jan. 31, 2025

Besieged by this siege mentality, the back to the literal wall, desperate and phobic, the Croats developed the paranoia typical of all small nations encircled by hostility and impending doom.

From Terrorists and Freedom Fighters by Vaknin, Samuel

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