Closeminded
Part of speech: adjective
Definitions
- A mindset characterized by an unwillingness to accept new ideas or differing perspectives typically results in a limited understanding and personal development
- The disposition of being unreceptive to alternative views and fresh concepts can create barriers to broader comprehension and intellectual growth
- A mental attitude marked by resistance to new thoughts or differing opinions leads to restrictions in knowledge and personal evolution
Etymology: "Closeminded" is simply an alternative spelling of "close-minded," so its history is the history of the hyphenated form. The construction is a plain compound of "close," in the sense of shut or confined, and "minded," meaning having a particular kind of mind or disposition. Together they describe a mind that has been shut against new notions, the same picture carried by the older phrase "narrow-minded." The spelling without the hyphen is the one more often seen in American usage, while the hyphenated version is the traditional form, but both refer to the same idea. Nothing in the word's makeup points to a single coiner or a dramatic change of sense; its meaning has stayed close to the literal image of a door pulled shut.
Synonyms: narrow-minded, intolerant
Antonyms: open-minded, tolerant