/ menˈtæləti; NAmE / noun
[ usually sing. ] ( pl. -ies ) the particular attitude or way of thinking of a person or group
SYN mindset :
I cannot understand the mentality of football hooligans.
a criminal / ghetto mentality
—see also siege mentality
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WORD ORIGIN
late 17th cent. (in the sense mental process ): from the adjective mental + -ity . Current senses date from the mid 19th cent.