I. ˈad.ə̇ˌtüd, ˈatə̇-, -ə̇.ˌtyüd also -d.ē- or -tē- noun
( -s )
Etymology: French, from Italian attitudine (influenced in meaning by Italian atto act, action, from Latin actus act), from attitudine aptitude, natural tendency, from Late Latin aptitudin-, aptitudo fitness — more at aptitude , act
1.
a. : the arrangement of the parts of a sculptured or painted figure
b. : the posture of a figure in a sculpture or a painting
2.
a. : a position or bearing as indicating action, feeling, or mood
a firm attitude
b. : the feeling or mood itself
one's attitude regarding vivisection
3.
a. : the posture or position of a person, an animal, or an inanimate object or the manner in which the parts of the body are disposed
toys lying in tumbled attitudes on the nursery floor
b. : a position assumed to serve a purpose
strike a threatening attitude
4.
a. : behavior representative of feeling or conviction
b. : a disposition that is primarily grounded in affect and emotion and is expressive of opinions rather than belief
c. : an organismic state of readiness to act that is often accompanied by considerable affect and that may be activated by an appropriate stimulus into significant or meaningful behavior
d. : a persistent disposition to act either positively or negatively toward a person, group, object, situation, or value
5. geology : the position of a bed, fault plane, or other planar body or surface with respect to a horizontal plane
6.
a. : any posture held momentarily in dancing
b. : a variation of the arabesque used in ballet with the lifted leg bent sharply at the knee, the body held upright, the corresponding arm usually raised forward, and the opposite arm extended to the side
7. : the position or orientation of an aircraft in the air as seen by an observer stationary on the earth determined and expressed mathematically by the inclination of the axes of the aircraft to three fixed axes on the earth that form a frame of reference
II. noun
: a negative, hostile, or aggressive frame of mind