ATTITUDE

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does attitude mean? 

• ATTITUDE (noun)
  The noun ATTITUDE has 4 senses:

1. a complex mental state involving beliefs and feelings and values and dispositions to act in certain ways

2. the arrangement of the body and its limbs

3. a theatrical pose created for effect

4. position of aircraft or spacecraft relative to a frame of reference (the horizon or direction of motion)

  Familiarity information: ATTITUDE used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ATTITUDE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A complex mental state involving beliefs and feelings and values and dispositions to act in certain ways

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Synonyms:

attitude; mental attitude

Context example:

he had the attitude that work was fun

Hypernyms ("attitude" is a kind of...):

cognition; knowledge; noesis (the psychological result of perception and learning and reasoning)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "attitude"):

orientation (an integrated set of attitudes and beliefs)

culture (the attitudes and behavior that are characteristic of a particular social group or organization)

irreverence (an irreverent mental attitude)

reverence (a reverent mental attitude)

disrespect (a disrespectful mental attitude)

esteem; regard; respect (an attitude of admiration or esteem)

intolerance (unwillingness to recognize and respect differences in opinions or beliefs)

tolerance (willingness to recognize and respect the beliefs or practices of others)

disposition; inclination; tendency (an attitude of mind especially one that favors one alternative over others)

position; posture; stance (a rationalized mental attitude)

paternalism (the attitude (of a person or a government) that subordinates should be controlled in a fatherly way for their own good)

mentality; mind-set; mindset; outlook (a habitual or characteristic mental attitude that determines how you will interpret and respond to situations)

southernism (an attitude characteristic of Southerners (especially in the US))

high horse (an attitude of arrogant superiority)

hardball (a no-nonsense attitude in business or politics)

defensive; defensive attitude (an attitude of defensiveness (especially in the phrase 'on the defensive'))

acceptance; credence (the mental attitude that something is believable and should be accepted as true)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The arrangement of the body and its limbs

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

attitude; position; posture

Context example:

he assumed an attitude of surrender

Hypernyms ("attitude" is a kind of...):

bodily property (an attribute of the body)

Attribute:

erect; upright; vertical (upright in position or posture)

unerect (not upright in position or posture)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "attitude"):

ballet position (classical position of the body and especially the feet in ballet)

order arms (a position in the manual of arms; the rifle is held vertically on the right side with the butt on the ground; often used as a command)

tuck ((sports) a bodily position adopted in some sports (such as diving or skiing) in which the knees are bent and the thighs are drawn close to the chest)

stance (standing posture)

sprawl; sprawling (an ungainly posture with arms and legs spread about)

guard (a posture of defence in boxing or fencing)

asana ((Hinduism) a posture or manner of sitting (as in the practice of yoga))

ectopia (abnormal position of a part or organ (especially at the time of birth))

presentation ((obstetrics) position of the fetus in the uterus relative to the birth canal)

pose (a posture assumed by models for photographic or artistic purposes)

missionary position (a position for sexual intercourse; a man and woman lie facing each other with the man on top; so-called because missionaries thought it the proper position for primitive peoples)

lotus position (a sitting position with the legs crossed; used in yoga)

lithotomy position (a position lying on your back with knees bent and thighs apart; assumed for vaginal or rectal examination)

eversion (the position of being turned outward)

decubitus (a reclining position (as in a bed))

Derivation:

attitudinise (assume certain affected attitudes)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A theatrical pose created for effect

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Context example:

the actor struck just the right attitude

Hypernyms ("attitude" is a kind of...):

affectation; affectedness; mannerism; pose (a deliberate pretense or exaggerated display)

Derivation:

attitudinise; attitudinize (assume certain affected attitudes)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Position of aircraft or spacecraft relative to a frame of reference (the horizon or direction of motion)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting relations between people or things or ideas

Hypernyms ("attitude" is a kind of...):

orientation (position or alignment relative to points of the compass or other specific directions)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "attitude"):

trim (attitude of an aircraft in flight when allowed to take its own orientation)

 Context examples 

I could not see her face in the darkness, but her arms were thrown out in an attitude of entreaty.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

As Holmes drew the curtain I was aware, from some little rigidity and alertness of his attitude, that he was prepared for an emergency.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

This sweet attitude makes you so lovable.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

There were not words enough in the English language, nor in any language, to make his attitude and conduct intelligible to them.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

Lord St. Simon had by no means relaxed his rigid attitude, but had listened with a frowning brow and a compressed lip to this long narrative.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Also I carried the dirk in a sheath at my hip, sailor-fashion, and maintained toward Thomas Mugridge a constant attitude which was composed of equal parts of domineering, insult, and contempt.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

For a few seconds she lay in her helpless attitude and disarray.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

I assure you it is very refreshing after sitting so long in one attitude.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

I felt, also, that there was challenge in his attitude.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

On Wednesday, Nov. 29, they learned the TCM thrusters worked perfectly — and just as well as the attitude control thrusters.

(Voyager 1 Fires Up Thrusters After 37 Years, NASA)