attitude

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US /ˈæt̬.ə.tuːd/ 
UK /ˈæt.ɪ.tʃuːd/ 

Oxford Essential Dictionary

attitude

 noun
the way you think or feel about something:
What's your attitude to marriage?

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

attitude

attitude S2 W1 AC /ˈætətjuːd, ˈætɪtjuːd $ -tuːd/ BrE AmE noun
[Word Family: noun: attitude; adjective: attitudinal]
[Date: 1600-1700; Language: French; Origin: Late Latin aptitudo 'fitness', from Latin aptus; ⇨ apt]
1. [uncountable and countable] the opinions and feelings that you usually have about something, especially when this is shown in your behaviour:
As soon as they found out I was a doctor, their whole attitude changed.
attitude to/towards
The people have a very positive attitude to life.
2. [uncountable] informal a style of dressing, behaving etc that shows you have the confidence to do unusual and exciting things without caring what other people think
with attitude
a coat with attitude
—attitudinal /ˌætəˈtjuːdənəl, ˌætɪˈtjuːdənəl $ -ˈtuː-/ adjective
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ adjectives
good/bad a lazy student with a bad attitude
positive/negative A positive attitude is essential if you want to be successful. | Many teenagers have a very negative attitude towards cooking.
relaxed On Bali, there is a healthier, more relaxed attitude to life.
favourable (=having a good opinion of something or someone) Older people tend to have a favourable attitude to the police.
critical (=showing you disagree with or disapprove of someone or something) People’s attitude towards US foreign policy has become increasingly critical.
ambivalent (=not sure if you approve of something) The public have a rather ambivalent attitude towards science.
cavalier (=very careless, especially about something serious or important) his cavalier attitude to the truth
patronizing/condescending (=showing that you think you are more important or intelligent than someone) complaints about patronising attitudes towards women
aggressive/hostile (=showing anger) Their attitude suddenly became more aggressive.
public attitudes/people’s attitudes Public attitudes have changed.
political attitudes a survey of people’s political attitudes
mental attitude There is a strong connection between health and mental attitude.
sb’s whole attitude His whole attitude seemed different.
the general attitude His general attitude to our situation was unsympathetic.
■ verbs
have/take/adopt an attitude Not everyone takes a positive attitude towards modern art.
sb’s attitude changes As you get older, your attitude changes.
an attitude exists This attitude no longer exists in the church.
sb’s attitude hardens (=they feel less sympathy and they want to be stricter or firmer) People’s attitudes towards sex offenders have hardened.
■ phrases
an attitude of mind British English (=a way of thinking) Being young is simply an attitude of mind.
somebody has an attitude problem (=someone is not helpful or pleasant to be with) Some of the male students have a real attitude problem.
• • •
THESAURUS
opinion what you think about something or someone: People didn’t usually ask his opinion about anything. | She has rather a low opinion of young people.
view your opinion about a serious or important issue: She has strong views about education. | In my view, footballers are paid too much.
point of view your opinion, especially when this is influenced by the situation you are in: From a farmer’s point of view, foxes are a nuisance. | It all depends on your point of view.
position the official opinion of a government, political party, or someone in authority: The Prime Minister has made his position perfectly clear. | The party has changed its position on nuclear weapons.
attitude your opinions and feelings about something or someone, especially when this shows in your behaviour: My parents and I have very different attitudes to life. | It was his attitude to women that shocked me.
school of thought an opinion that one group of people have about a subject, especially when this is different from that of another group: There is one school of thought that says that coffee is addictive and is therefore a bad thing. | There are two schools of thought on this.

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

attitude

 

 

at·ti·tude AW [attitude attitudes]   [ˈætɪtjuːd]    [ˈætɪtuːd]  noun
1. countable ~ (to/towards sb/sth) the way that you think and feel about sb/sth; the way that you behave towards sb/sth that shows how you think and feel
changes in public attitudes to marriage
the government's attitude towards single parents
to have a good/bad/positive/negative attitude towards sb/sth
Youth is simply an attitude of mind.
If you want to pass your exams you'd better change your attitude!
• You're taking a pretty selfish attitude over this, aren't you?

• A lot of drivers have a serious attitude problem (= they do not behave in a way that is acceptable to other people).

2. uncountable confident, sometimes aggressive behaviour that shows you do not care about other people's opinions and that you want to do things in an individual way
a band with attitude

• You'd better get rid of that attitude and shape up, young man.

3. countable (formal) a position of the body
Her hands were folded in an attitude of prayer.
see strike a pose/an attitude at  strike  v.  
Word Origin:
late 17th cent. (denoting the placing or posture of a figure in art): from French, from Italian attitudine ‘fitness, posture’, from late Latin aptitudo, from aptus ‘fit’.  
Thesaurus:
attitude noun C
What is your attitude towards the job as a whole?
viewpoint of viewstancepositionstandperspectiveoutlooklineangleopinionfeeling
a personal attitude/view/point of view/stance/position/perspective/angle/opinion/feeling
a positive/negative attitude/view/point of view/stance/perspective/outlook/angle/opinion/feeling
take a/an attitude/view/point of view/stance/position/stand/perspective/line
change your attitude/view/point of view/stance/position/perspective/outlook/opinion 
Example Bank:
At school he was thought to have an attitude problem.
Changing conditions require an attitude adjustment on the part of business.
Don't give me any attitude!
He displayed a condescending attitude towards/toward his co-workers.
I try to have a healthy, positive attitude to life.
Newspapers reflect social attitudes.
She seems to have the right attitude for the job.
She shares his somewhat cavalier attitude to the law.
Sometimes it's essential for doctors to cultivate a detached attitude.
The experience changed his attitude to religion.
The general attitude of the public is sympathetic.
The government has taken a positive attitude to this problem.
The policy reflects a caring attitude towards/toward employees.
The teachers seem to have a very relaxed attitude to discipline.
There has been a marked change in attitude towards the European single currency.
This sort of attitude exists among certain groups of people.
Youth is simply an attitude of mind.
a rock band with attitude
an attitude of confidence and trust
changing attitudes about death
efforts to foster positive attitudes to learning
Her attitude to her parents has always been somewhat negative.
His general attitude of hostility did not impress the jury.
I like her cheerfulness and her positive attitude.
I tend to take the attitude that it's best to leave well alone.
If you want to pass your exams you'd better change your attitude.
The political attitudes of young people are rarely taken seriously.
There are some major differences between British and American attitudes when it comes to the role of government.
They are accused of taking a cavalier attitude towards their employees' safety.
Try to develop the kind of attitude of mind that makes you tolerant of other people's failings.
• We all need to show commitment and a can-do attitude.

• What is your attitude towards the job as a whole?

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition
 

attitude / ˈæt.ɪ.tjuːd /   / ˈæt̬.ɪ.tuːd / noun [ C or U ] (OPINION)

B1 a feeling or opinion about something or someone, or a way of behaving that is caused by this:

It's often very difficult to change people's attitudes.

[ + that ] She takes the attitude that children should be allowed to learn at their own pace.

He has a very bad attitude to/towards work.

He seems to have undergone a change in/of attitude recently, and has become much more cooperative.

I don't like your attitude (= the way you are behaving) .

That boy has a real attitude problem (= behaves in a way that makes it difficult for other people to have a relationship with him or work with him) .

Word partners for attitude (OPINION)

have / take a [positive/relaxed, etc.] attitude • a negative / positive / relaxed attitude • sb's attitude to / towards sb/sth • attitudes among [a group of people] • a change in / of attitude • an attitude problem

 

attitude / ˈæt.ɪ.tjuːd /   / ˈæt̬.ɪ.tuːd / noun [ U ] (CONFIDENCE)

If you say that someone has attitude, you mean that they are very confident and want people to notice them .

Word partners for attitude (OPINION)

have / take a [positive/relaxed, etc.] attitude • a negative / positive / relaxed attitude • sb's attitude to / towards sb/sth • attitudes among [a group of people] • a change in / of attitude • an attitude problem

 

attitude / ˈæt.ɪ.tjuːd /   / ˈæt̬.ɪ.tuːd / noun [ C ] literary (POSITION)

a position of the body:

She lay sprawled across the sofa, in an attitude of complete abandon.

Word partners for attitude (OPINION)

have / take a [positive/relaxed, etc.] attitude • a negative / positive / relaxed attitude • sb's attitude to / towards sb/sth • attitudes among [a group of people] • a change in / of attitude • an attitude problem

© Cambridge University Press 2013

Collins Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

attitude

[æ̱tɪtjuːd, AM -tuːd]
 ♦♦
 attitudes

 1) N-VAR: usu with supp, oft N to/towards n Your attitude to something is the way that you think and feel about it, especially when this shows in the way you behave.
  ...the general change in attitude towards handicapped people...
  Being unemployed produces negative attitudes to work...
  His attitude made me angry...
  I don't think it's fair to accuse me of having an attitude problem.
 2) N-UNCOUNT If you refer to someone as a person with attitude, you mean that they have a striking and individual style of behaviour, especially a forceful or aggressive one. [JOURNALISM]
  Patti Smith and Janis Joplin did it all years ago and they were women with attitude and talent.
 3) PHRASE Your attitude of mind is your general way of thinking and feeling.
  Writing calls for a critical attitude of mind that he did not possess.

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

attitude

at·ti·tude /ˈætəˌtuːd, Brit ˈætəˌtjuːd/ noun, pl -tudes
1 [count] : the way you think and feel about someone or something
• He has a positive/negative attitude about the changes.
- often + to, toward, or towards
• I don't understand your attitude to money.
• She's studying how attitudes toward death vary from culture to culture.
• He wants to change the hostile attitude they have toward technology.
2 [count] : a feeling or way of thinking that affects a person's behavior
• He has an aggressive/rebellious attitude. [=he behaves toward other people in an aggressive/rebellious way]
• She's friendly and has a good attitude.
• You need to change your bad attitude.
• There's been a change/shift in his attitude since his accident.
• She has an attitude problem. [=she is not friendly or cooperative]
3 informal
a : a way of thinking and behaving that people regard as unfriendly, rude, etc.

[count]

• I don't know what her problem is. She has a real attitude.
• I suggest you get rid of that attitude and shape up.

[noncount]

• He was showing some attitude during practice today, so the coach benched him.
b [noncount] : a strong, confident, or impressive quality
• a band/movie with attitude
4 [count] formal : a particular way of positioning your body
• She bowed her head in an attitude of prayer.
cop an attitude
- see 2cop