Meaning & use
receptive attitude
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Meanings
nouncountable
A way of thinking in which you are willing to listen to new ideas or suggestions and consider them seriously.
Grammar: Countable, so it takes a/an or the: she has a receptive attitude. The plural is receptive attitudes.
Patterns
- have a receptive attitude to something
- adopt a receptive attitude toward someone
- show a receptive attitude to something
- a receptive attitude among someone
The new manager has a receptive attitude to ideas from junior staff.
Her receptive attitude toward criticism made the whole review much easier.
If the team keeps a receptive attitude, these changes will go smoothly.
nouncountable
A friendly, open manner that shows you are willing to accept what someone says or offers.
Grammar: Usually used with a possessive or an article: his receptive attitude, a receptive attitude.
Patterns
- someone's receptive attitude
- a receptive attitude toward someone
- meet something with a receptive attitude
The audience met the proposal with a receptive attitude and asked plenty of questions.
His receptive attitude toward the volunteers encouraged them to stay.
She greeted the news with a surprisingly receptive attitude.
Word forms
| plural | receptive attitudes |
|---|
Common combinations
- a receptive attitude to something
- Parents showed a receptive attitude to the new homework policy.
- a receptive attitude toward someone
- The teacher's receptive attitude toward shy students helped them speak up.
- adopt a receptive attitude
- The board adopted a receptive attitude to the merger plan.
- have a receptive attitude
- You need to have a receptive attitude if you want to learn a language.
- meet something with a receptive attitude
- The committee met our request with a receptive attitude.
Synonyms and how they differ
- open-mindedness
- This is the quality of being willing to consider new ideas; it is uncountable, while receptive attitude is countable and names the attitude itself.
- willingness
- Willingness means you are ready to do something; a receptive attitude is more about listening and accepting ideas than about acting.
- openness
- Openness suggests you do not hide your feelings or resist new things; a receptive attitude focuses on being ready to take in what others offer.
Opposites
Word family
- receptive adjective
- Willing to listen to or accept new ideas.
- receptively adverb
- In a way that shows you are willing to listen or accept.
- receptiveness noun
- The quality of being willing to listen to or accept ideas.
- receptivity noun
- A more formal word for the ability or willingness to receive ideas or impressions.
Commonly confused: receptive attitude or perceptive? receptive attitude or reception?
receptive attitude vs perceptive
Perceptive means quick to notice or understand things; a receptive attitude is about being willing to accept ideas, not about noticing them.
receptive attitude vs reception
Reception is a noun meaning a welcome, a front desk, or the quality of a signal; do not use it when you mean the attitude of being open to ideas.
Practice
The committee showed a receptive attitude ___ the students' suggestions.
Choose one answer.
'A receptive attitude to something' is the usual pattern, meaning the committee was willing to consider the suggestions. 'For' can follow 'receptive' in some phrases like 'receptive to new ideas for the project', but here 'to' introduces the thing being considered. 'Of' and 'with' do not fit this pattern.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “receptive attitude”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.