Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “attitude” come from?

Attitude comes from French attitude, from Italian attitudine, from Latin actus, the past participle of agere meaning "to do or act."

attitude (English): The position of the body or way of carrying...

Definitions

  1. The position of the body or way of carrying...

Ancestry of “attitude”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchattitudeattitude, position
2Italianattitudineaptitude, flair, bent; suitability; opportunity,...
3Latināctus—
4Latinagō—
5Proto-Italicagōdrive; push, impel; do, act
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂éǵetito be driving
7Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂eǵ-to drive

Words derived from “attitude”

  • attituded
  • tude
  • attitudy
  • 'tude
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂eǵ- →