mentality

noun

men·​tal·​i·​ty men-ˈta-lə-tē 

plural mentalities

1

: mental power or capacity : intelligence

2

: mode or way of thought : outlook

the imperialist mentality of the nineteenth century

—John Davies

Synonyms

• sense
• intelligence
• intellect
• reason

Examples of mentality in a Sentence

most teenagers do not have the mentality to foresee the consequences of such risky behavior

Recent Examples on the Web

Despite her many titles, from entrepreneur to author to working mom, DesRochers has built her businesses around a human-first mentality. —Grace Tucker, Cincinnati Enquirer, 18 Oct. 2025

Dillingham is an excellent passer, but the shift in mentality from scorer to facilitator is taking some time to take root. —Jon Krawczynski, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025

Christie and his players have said adopting his defense-first mentality will be a long process, especially with a roster featuring players known for offense like DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine and Domantas Sabonis. —Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 16 Oct. 2025

To be fair, the Brewers have bought into the underdog mentality all season. —Aaliyan Mohammed, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1691, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing mentality

• bunker mentality
• herd mentality
• siege mentality
• victim mentality

Rhymes for mentality

• banality
• bestiality
• brutality
• carnality
• centrality
• chirality
• duality
• fatality
• finality
• formality
• frugality
• legality

Kids Definition

mentality

noun

men·​tal·​i·​ty men-ˈtal-ət-ē 

plural mentalities

1

: mental power : intelligence

2

: a particular way of thinking : outlook

Medical Definition

mentality

noun

men·​tal·​i·​ty men-ˈtal-ət-ē 

plural mentalities

1

: mental power or capacity

2

: mode or way of thought