a complex mental state involving beliefs and feelings and values and dispositions to act in certain ways
<noun.cognition> he had the attitude that work was fun
the arrangement of the body and its limbs
<noun.attribute> he assumed an attitude of surrender
a theatrical pose created for effect
<noun.act> the actor struck just the right attitude
position of aircraft or spacecraft relative to a frame of reference (the horizon or direction of motion)
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Attitude \At"ti*tude\, n. [It. attitudine, LL. aptitudo, fr. L. aptus suited, fitted: cf. F. attitude. Cf. {Aptitude}.] 1. (Paint. & Sculp.) The posture, action, or disposition of a figure or a statue.
2. The posture or position of a person or an animal, or the manner in which the parts of his body are disposed; position assumed or studied to serve a purpose; as, a threatening attitude; an attitude of entreaty.
3. Fig.: Position as indicating action, feeling, or mood; as, in times of trouble let a nation preserve a firm attitude; one's mental attitude in respect to religion.
The attitude of the country was rapidly changing. --J. R. Green.
{To strike an attitude}, to take an attitude for mere effect.
Syn: {Attitude}, {Posture}.
Usage: Both of these words describe the visible disposition of the limbs. Posture relates to their position merely; attitude refers to their fitness for some specific object. The object of an attitude is to set forth exhibit some internal feeling; as, attitude of wonder, of admiration, of grief, etc. It is, therefore, essentially and designedly expressive. Its object is the same with that of gesture; viz., to hold forth and represent. Posture has no such design. If we speak of posture in prayer, or the posture of devotion, it is only the natural disposition of the limbs, without any intention to show forth or exhibit.
'T is business of a painter in his choice of attitudes (positur[ae]) to foresee the effect and harmony of the lights and shadows. --Dryden.
Never to keep the body in the same posture half an hour at a time. --Bacon.
'At the beginning, the Mexican attitude was very macho.
"My attitude was that I'd get a manager and make a living, not that I'd become a star," he said.
Europeans are likely fully to understand America's carefree attitude to the dollar only if they finally achieve economic and monetary union.
Many Democratic lawmakers fear that Rep. Wright's actions are politically foolish, and GOP sources said the speaker's rhetoric is causing a stiffening in the White House attitude toward taxes.
David Redden, Sotheby's senior vice president in charge of collectibles, books, manuscripts and coins, said he initially had some concerns about "what the attitude around the company would be" about selling baseball cards.
The new attitude reflects the fact that, for the first time since Korea was divided in 1945, most Southerners believe that unification is close at hand.
Yet ultimately, the president's best hopes may lie in the deferential attitude of many Serbian voters, who have succumbed to his propaganda before and may be persuaded that whatever 'Slobo' says, goes.
Last Friday, Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev condemned past anti-religious repression and called for a more tolerate attitude toward religion.
"So long as America keeps its hostile attitude toward Iran, there will be no sign of any changes and there will be no negotiations," Rafsanjani said Tuesday in a television interview monitored in Nicosia.
"The attitude, even now, is somehow against psychotherapy," the doctor says.
Its benevolent attitude toward employees and customers - dubbed "the H-P Way" - has made it a model for high-tech companies in Silicon Valley for half a century.
"Here you have the biggest markets around and you have the most permissive attitude about allowing people to do takeovers."
He said this change in Rockwell's attitude had emerged over the past year.
Each bank is likely to take a different attitude, given the differences in their lending books and financial muscle.
He believes the car market can bounce back if the government adopts a more accommodating attitude.
But Charles Schoonover says Jeff and his brother Scott, 27, didn't like to keep regular hours and sometimes exhibited a "holier-than-thou" attitude toward customers.
When you're a kid you're passionate for idealism, but you have to temper it as you grow up or your idealism is useless." Horton notes that in real life he was kicked out of Principia College in Illinois for a similar attitude.
"We try to have an open attitude here so people can go a little nuts or act weird.
Whether that came directly from my father, or as much from my mother, I guess it's a basic Christian attitude," Michael said.
Spectators said they stood behind Mrs. Thatcher's position on human rights, but they were less enthusiastic about her attitude toward trade unions.
Mohorita said there would have to be a "new attitude toward former leaders," but he did not say if that referred to Dubcek or hard-liners who took charge after the liberal leadership was ousted.
One bill defines the state's attitude toward the church as a sovereign organization operating within the Constitution but free to manage its internal affairs.
"That's a standard in some European houses that the Met has managed to avoid _ the attitude that in the standard repertoire everybody knows how it goes.
"It happened in past real-estate cycles, and it's happening again." The banks' get-tough attitude has implications reaching well beyond the survival of some big developers.
A far more prevalent attitude toward learning is expressed by the Russian maxim, "Repetition is the mother of knowledge."
You could be an old fogey at 19. You can be kicking up your heels at 63. It's an attitude.
"I think my attitude is my Fountain of Youth, with or without a band, because I feel kind of timeless," he said.
Selling Slovene companies to foreigners is not popular, but officials are convinced it is only a question of time before more people recognise the benefits. 'People are not very keen on foreign investment, but (their attitude) is changing.
But Savimbi said recent statements by senior Angolan officials suggest a more flexible attitude on reconciliation.
Foreign buyers were more prevalent than domestic buyers; otherwise, dealers were taking a wait-and-see attitude toward the dollar's rise and impulses from other exchanges.