attitude

UK: /ˈætɪtjuːd/

US: /ˈætɪˌtud, -ˌtjud/

US: (at′i to̅o̅d′, -tyo̅o̅d′)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

at•ti•tude /ˈætɪˌtud, -ˌtyud/   n. [countable]

1. manner or way one thinks about, behaves toward, or feels toward someone or something:
   a cheerful attitude.
2. position or posture of the body:
   knelt in a prayerful attitude.
3. Aeronautics the way in which an aircraft is lined up esp. with respect to the horizon.
4. Informal Terms [Slang.] a testy, uncooperative disposition:
   [usually: an + ~] has too much attitude and not enough ability.

at•ti•tu•di•nal /ˌætɪˈtudənəl, -ˈtyud-/  adj. 

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

at•ti•tude  (at′i to̅o̅d′, -tyo̅o̅d′), n. 

1. manner, disposition, feeling, position, etc., with regard to a person or thing;
   tendency or orientation, esp. of the mind:
   a negative attitude; group attitudes.
2. position or posture of the body appropriate to or expressive of an action, emotion, etc.:
   a threatening attitude; a relaxed attitude.
3. Aeronautics the inclination of the three principal axes of an aircraft relative to the wind, to the ground, etc.
4. 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

at′ti•tu′di•nal, adj. 
Synonyms

• 2. See position. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

attitude / ˈætɪˌtjuːd/ noun

1. the way a person views something or tends to behave towards it, often in an evaluative way
2. a theatrical pose created for effect (esp in the phrase strike an attitude)
3. a position of the body indicating mood or emotion
4. a hostile manner: don't give me attitude
5. the orientation of an aircraft's axes in relation to some plane, esp the horizontal
   See also axis11
6. the orientation of a spacecraft in relation to its direction of motion

Etymology: 17th Century: from French, from Italian attitudine disposition, from Late Latin aptitūdō fitness, from Latin aptus apt

ˌattiˈtudinal adjective