Etymology Map
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Attitude

3 stages from Late Latin to English.

Today it means a way of thinking or feeling

Where does the word "attitude" come from? It comes from Late Latin aptitudo, passing through Italian before entering English (1660s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
aptitudo
Late Latin · ancient
"fitness"
from 'aptus', fit
2
Stage 2 of 3
attitudine
Italian · 1600s
"posture in art"
painters' term for the pose of a figure; came via French 'attitude'
3
Stage 3 of 3
attitude
English · 1660s
"posture"
the sense 'mental state' dates from the 1800s; 'attitude' as defiance from the 1970s
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Read the full story

Attitude’s story begins in Late Latin: aptitudo meant “fitness.” From 'aptus', fit. By 1600s, the word had taken hold in Italian as attitudine. Painters' term for the pose of a figure; came via French 'attitude'. It reached English by 1660s as attitude. The sense 'mental state' dates from the 1800s; 'attitude' as defiance from the 1970s. Today, attitude means a way of thinking or feeling.