What does "attitudinize" mean?
To cause (someone or something) to assume an attitude or pose; to pose, to posture.
Attitudinize
/ˌætɪˈtjuːdɪnaɪz/ verb
verb ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: To cause (someone or something) to assume an attitude or pose; to pose, to posture.
- Grammar: attitudinize is listed as verb.
- Nearest alternatives: attitudinise, display, feign, influence.
- Useful contrasts: genuineness.
- Usage evidence: In Greenwich, there were many gravelled walks, unshrubbed except for the nurses who dotted them, silent and attitudinized as trees.
How to use "attitudinize"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "attitudinize" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "attitudinize" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "attitudinize" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "attitudinize" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
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Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "attitudinize" is acting as verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "attitudinise" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
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Final meaning check
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When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Verb
- 1 To cause (someone or something) to assume an attitude or pose; to pose, to posture. British, English, Oxford, US, transitive
"In Greenwich, there were many gravelled walks, unshrubbed except for the nurses who dotted them, silent and attitudinized as trees."
- 2 assume certain affected attitudes wordnet
- 3 To give the appearance of, or make a show of, (something) by assuming an affected or exaggerated attitude. British, English, Oxford, US, transitive
"While she, one hand on his arm, had been attitudinizing her dutiful gratitude, he—as she suddenly realized—had been deciding to rid her of Fordham [her estate manager]. No sentimentalizing, no attitudinizing there!"
- 4 To assume an attitude or pose, especially one which is affected, exaggerated, or unnatural; to posture, to posturize; also, to excessively practise adopting attitudes or poses. British, English, Oxford, US, intransitive
"He had a great averſion to geſticulating in company. He called once to a gentleman vvho offended him in that point, "Don't attitudeniſe.""
- 5 To create art, speak, or write in a manner which assumes affected, exaggerated, or unnatural attitudes. British, English, Oxford, US, figuratively, intransitive
"[W]hoso rhymes a sonnet pays a tax, / Who paints a landscape dips brush at his cost, / Who scores a septett true for strings and wind / Mulcted must be—else how should I impose / Properly, attitudinize aright, / Did such conflicting claims as these divert / Hohenstiel-Schwangau from observing me?"
Antonyms
Example
"In Greenwich, there were many gravelled walks, unshrubbed except for the nurses who dotted them, silent and attitudinized as trees."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "attitudinize"?
Common synonyms include: attitudinise, display, feign, influence, masquerade, peacock.
How do you use "attitudinize" in a sentence?
In Greenwich, there were many gravelled walks, unshrubbed except for the nurses who dotted them, silent and attitudinized as trees.
How do you pronounce "attitudinize"?
Pronounced /ˌætɪˈtjuːdɪnaɪz/.
Etymology
From attitude + -in- + -ize.