- the way a person views something or tends to behave towards it, often in an evaluative way
- a theatrical pose created for effect (esp in the phrase strike an attitude)
- a position of the body indicating mood or emotion
- informal a hostile manner: don't give me attitude
- the orientation of an aircraft's axes in relation to some plane, esp the horizontal
See also axis1 - the orientation of a spacecraft in relation to its direction of motion
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
at•ti•tude /ˈætɪˌtud, -ˌtyud/USA pronunciation
n. [countable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- manner or way one thinks about, behaves toward, or feels toward someone or something:a cheerful attitude.
- position or posture of the body: knelt in a prayerful attitude.
- Aeronauticsthe way in which an aircraft is lined up esp. with respect to the horizon.
- Informal Terms[Slang.]a testy, uncooperative disposition:[usually: an + ~]has too much attitude and not enough ability.
at•ti•tude
(at′i to̅o̅d′, -tyo̅o̅d′),USA pronunciation n.
at′ti•tu′di•nal, adj.
- manner, disposition, feeling, position, etc., with regard to a person or thing;
tendency or orientation, esp. of the mind:a negative attitude; group attitudes. - position or posture of the body appropriate to or expressive of an action, emotion, etc.:a threatening attitude; a relaxed attitude.
- Aeronauticsthe inclination of the three principal axes of an aircraft relative to the wind, to the ground, etc.
- Music and Dance[Ballet.]a pose in which the dancer stands on one leg, the other bent behind.
- Late Latin aptitūdini- (stem of aptitūdō) aptitude
- Italian attitudine
- French
- 1660–70
- 2. See position.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
attitude /ˈætɪˌtjuːd/ n
'attitude' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
about turn
- act
- aggression
- aloof
- Anglicism
- anglicize
- anti
- attitudinize
- austere
- aw-shucks
- bastion
- benignity
- can-do
- caprice
- capricious
- careful
- careless
- caring
- casual
- changeover
- charity
- charitable
- clinical
- collide
- commit
- contempt
- conversion
- cynicism
- defensive
- defiance
- die-hard
- dog in the manger
- drive
- dyed-in-the-wool
- ease
- easy-going
- erratic
- evaluative
- expectation
- facetious
- favour
- frank
- frivolous
- fusty
- Gallicize
- habit
- hidebound
- Hochhuth
- incline
- abide