attitudinally

Attitudinally is an adverb describing something done or described in relation to attitudes, particularly the attitudes of observers, respondents, or groups. It signals that interpretation, perception, or judgment is influenced by the stance or beliefs of those involved.

Etymology and grammar: Attitudinally is formed from the adjective attitudinal, which derives from attitude, with the typical adverb suffix -ly. It functions to modify verbs, adjectives, or whole phrases, indicating that the described action or quality relates to attitudes rather than to objective facts.

Usage: The term is more common in academic writing—such as psychology, linguistics, and discourse analysis—than in everyday speech. It helps authors flag that a description or analysis reflects opinions, biases, or emotional stances held by people rather than neutral measurements.

Examples: The researcher noted that the framing of the question made the results attitudinally dependent. The media coverage was attitudinally biased, emphasizing certain viewpoints over others. Analysts described the speech as attitudinally charged, highlighting the emotional or partisan weight of the rhetoric.

See also: Attitudinal, attitude, bias. While attitudinally can add precise nuance, it is a specialized term; in many contexts, simpler phrasing such as "in terms of attitude" or "from an attitudinal perspective" may be clearer to general readers.