attitude
/ˈætɪtjuːd/
noun
Origin
Latin
aptitudo — fitness, suitability
Overview
Meaning Now
- a settled way of thinking or feeling about someone or something, typically one that is reflected in a person's behaviour.
- a physical position of the body or a posture of a figure in art.
- the orientation of an aircraft or spacecraft relative to the direction of travel or a reference frame.
Literal older meaning
fitness or aptitude
Language path
Latin → Italian → French → English
Earliest form
attitude
Earliest period
17th century
Journey
The word entered English as a technical term for artists. It originally referred specifically to the physical pose of a model or statue. Over time, the metaphor of a 'posture' was applied to the mind, leading to its current primary sense of a mental disposition.
Evolution
- Latin
aptitudo
“fitness”
- Italian
attitudine
“fitness or bodily posture”
- French
attitude
“posture of a figure”
- 17th-century English
attitude
“pose or posture”
Initially used exclusively in the context of painting and sculpture.
- 19th-century English
attitude
“mental disposition”
Extension from physical posture to internal state.
Connections
Word parts
apt-
root
fit
-itude
suffix
state or condition
Related across languages
French
posture, attitude
Italian
attitudine
aptitude, tendency
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Related to attitude
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.