attitude
C1Neutral to Formal
Definition
Meaning
A settled way of thinking or feeling about someone or something, typically one that is reflected in a person's behaviour.
Can also refer to a confident, aggressive, or uncooperative way of behaving, a posture of the body expressive of a mood or emotion, or the orientation of an aircraft or spacecraft relative to a frame of reference.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The word can be used neutrally (describing a viewpoint) or negatively (implying arrogance or hostility). Context and modifiers (e.g., 'positive', 'bad') are crucial for interpreting meaning. In art and ballet, it denotes a specific body posture.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in core meaning or usage. The phrase 'attitude problem' is common in both.
Connotations
In informal contexts, the standalone use 'She's got attitude' often has positive connotations in US English (implying confidence, edge), while in UK English it can be more ambiguous, leaning slightly more towards negative (implying defiance).
Frequency
Equally common in both varieties. The technical use in aerospace is identical.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
have/take/adopt/show an attitudeattitude to/towards/on/regarding somethingattitude of mindVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Strike an attitude (pose theatrically)”
- “A/An attitude of mind”
- “Cop an attitude (AmE informal: become uncooperative or arrogant)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Refers to employee morale, customer perceptions, or corporate culture (e.g., 'We need to foster a can-do attitude').
Academic
Used in social sciences to study beliefs and predispositions (e.g., 'measuring public attitudes to climate change').
Everyday
Commonly describes someone's general approach or mood (e.g., 'He has a really helpful attitude').
Technical
In aviation/space: the orientation of an aircraft's axes relative to the horizon (pitch, roll, yaw).
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- He attitudinised for the cameras, pretending to read the manifesto.
American English
- She attitudinized during the interview, affecting a scholarly pose.
adverb
British English
- She shrugged attitudinally, showing her disdain.
American English
- He walked out attitudinally, slamming the door for effect.
adjective
British English
- His attitude-filled retort got him into trouble.
American English
- The show features attitude-heavy dialogue.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- She has a very friendly attitude.
- His attitude to homework is not good.
- The manager wants to change attitudes towards recycling in the office.
- I don't like his arrogant attitude.
- Public attitude towards the new law has shifted significantly.
- She adopted a cavalier attitude towards the risks involved.
- His laissez-faire attitude to project management resulted in costly delays.
- The study analyses the correlation between socio-economic status and political attitudes.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: "ATTIre + TUDE" – The 'clothing' (attire) of your thoughts; your mental posture.
Conceptual Metaphor
ATTITUDE IS A PHYSICAL POSTURE (e.g., 'He took a defiant stance'), ATTITUDE IS A POSSESSED OBJECT (e.g., 'She has a great attitude').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid translating as 'аттитюд' (a false friend). Use 'отношение', 'позиция', or 'установка'. 'Поза' is used for physical posture or affectation.
- The Russian word 'аттитюд' is an archaic ballet term and not used in everyday language.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'attitude' as a countable noun without an article (e.g., 'He has positive attitude' → 'He has a positive attitude').
- Confusing 'attitude' with 'altitude' (height).
- Overusing 'attitude' to mean simply 'mood' or 'emotion'.
Practice
Quiz
In which context does 'attitude' have a primarily technical meaning?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is neutral. Its positive or negative meaning depends on modifiers (e.g., 'positive attitude' vs. 'bad attitude') and context.
They are interchangeable. 'Attitude towards' is slightly more common in British English, while 'attitude toward' is preferred in American English.
The verb 'attitudinise/attitudinize' exists but is rare and literary, meaning 'to adopt a physical or mental pose for effect'.
It is usually countable (e.g., 'an attitude', 'different attitudes'). It can be uncountable when referring to the general quality of being confident/defiant (e.g., 'She's full of attitude').
Collections
Part of a collection
Personality Traits
B1 · 36 words · Describing character and personal qualities.
Debate Vocabulary
B2 · 48 words · Language for constructing arguments and discussions.
Psychology Basics
B2 · 50 words · Fundamental concepts in human psychology.