introvert

English

Etymology

From New Latin intrōvertere, from intro- (“within”) and vertere (“to turn”). Popularized as a psychological term by the German works of Carl Jung.

Pronunciation

Noun/Adjective

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈɪn.tɹə.vɜːt/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈɪn.tɹə.vɝt/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Verb

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ɪntɹəʊˈvəːt/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ɪntɹoʊˈvəɹt/
• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)t

Noun

introvert (plural introverts)

1. (zoology) An organ or other body part that is or can be turned inside out, especially an anterior portion of some annelid worms capable of retraction.
   • 1883, E. Ray Lankester, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Vol. XVI, p. 652, s.v. "Mollusca":

     Important distinctions which obtain amongst the various ‘introverts’ or intro- and e-versible tubes so frequently met with in animal bodies.

   • 1990, Deborah A. Coulombe, Seaside Naturalist, →ISBN, page 76:

     Peanut worms (phylum Sipunculida) are drab-colored bottom dwellers, most of which are less then four inches long. Their body is divided into two sections: the trunk and the introvert. The introvert, the narrow neck-like anterior section, is used as a probe.

   • 2006, Nematodes, Leeches, and Other Worms, →ISBN, page 38:

     When a peanut worm feeds, it extends and waves its introvert so that the mouth at the tip wanders across the seabed.

   • 2009, Lynn Marguli, Michael J Chapman, Kingdoms and Domains: An Illustrated Guide to the Phyla of Life on Earth, →ISBN:

     The introvert is everted by hydraulic pressure exerted by contraction of body muscles on the coelomic fluid.

2. (psychology) An introverted person: one who is considered more thoughtful than social, with a personality more inwardly than outwardly directed; one who often prefers to have time in non-social situations.
   • 1916, Constance Ellen Long trans. Carl Jung as Collected Papers on Analytical Psychology, p. 349:

     An Extravert can hardly conceive the necessity which compels the Introvert to conquer the world by means of a system.

   • 1918 April, Phyllis Blanchard, “A Psycho-Analytic Study of August Comte”, in American Journal of Psychology, page 163:

     In order to understand the marked contract between Comte's mental attitude during his early years and that of his later life, we must keep in mind Jung's hypothesis of the two psychological types, the introvert and extrovert,—the thinking type and the feeling type.

   • 1920 May 21, Challenge, page 44:

     All works of the imagination are conceived by men of the introvert type.

   • 1925, Charles Fox, Educational Psychology, page 254:

     The introvert abstracts from the object and deals with it by concepts concentrating upon the inner world of thought.

   • 2021 January 13, Paul Clifton, “Delivering a basis for rail changes”, in RAIL, issue 922, page 30:

     This softly spoken but fluent communicator describes himself as an introvert who prefers not to shout from the rooftops.

3. (figuratively, proscribed) A reserved person.

Usage notes

Psychologists tend to distinguish between introversion, which defines one's inherent social preferences and exists on a spectrum of behavior with ambiversion and extraversion, from shyness and other manifestations of social anxiety or trauma. Popular use tends to lump such behaviors together and sometimes pejoratively consider them withdrawn or antisocial.

Antonyms

• extrovert (popular), extravert (proper)

Related terms

• ambivert

Translations

one who focuses primarily on their own mind, feelings, or affairs

• Arabic: اِنْطِوَائِيّ m (inṭiwāʔiyy)
• Armenian: ինտրովերտ (hy) (introvert)
• Catalan: introvertit m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: please add this translation if you can

• Czech: introvert (cs) m
• Esperanto: please add this translation if you can
• Finnish: sisäänpäinsuuntautunut henkilö , introvertti (fi)
• French: introverti (fr)
• Greek: εσωστρεφής (el) (esostrefís)
• Japanese: 内向的な人 (naikōtekinahito)
• Lithuanian: intravertas m
• Persian: درون‌گرا (darun-gerâ)
• Portuguese: introvertido (pt)
• Punjabi: ਅੰਤਰਮੁਖੀ m (antarmukhī)
• Romanian: introvertit (ro)
• Russian: интрове́рт (ru) m (introvért)
• Spanish: introvertido (es) m
• Tagalog: loobwili
• Thai: please add this translation if you can
• Turkish: içe dönük (tr)
• Ukrainian: інтроверт m (introvert)

Adjective

introvert (comparative more introvert, superlative most introvert)

1. Alternative form of introverted.
   • 1934 July, British Journal of Psychology, page 26:

     They were noticeably more introvert, schizoid and desurgent in temperament.

Verb

introvert (third-person singular simple present introverts, present participle introverting, simple past and past participle introverted)

1. To turn inwards.
   1. To think about internal or spiritual matters.
      • 1671, Abraham Woodhead trans. The Life of the Holy Mother Saint Teresa..., xxviii:

        […] the Soul being straight, introverted […] into itself, and easily conforming to God's will and time […]

      • 1822, William Hazlitt, “Prejudice”, in Table-talk, page 85:

        The less we look abroad, the more our ideas are introverted, and our habitual impressions... grow together into a kind of concrete substance.

   2. (zoology) To withdraw an organ or body part within itself or its base.
      • 1785, William Cowper, "The Task", Cant. IV, ll. 633 ff.:

        His awkward gait, his introverted toes,
        Bent knees, round shoulders, and dejected looks […]

Derived terms

Derived terms

• introverse
• introversible
• introversion
• introversive
• introverted
• introverting
• introvertish
• introvertive

References

• “introvert, n.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, 1900.
• “introvert, v.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, 1900.

Czech

Noun

introvert m anim (feminine introvertka)

1. introvert (psychology)

   Antonym: extrovert m

Declension

Declension of introvert (hard masculine animate)

	singular	plural
nominative	introvert	introverti
genitive	introverta	introvertů
dative	introvertovi, introvertu	introvertům
accusative	introverta	introverty
vocative	introverte	introverti
locative	introvertovi, introvertu	introvertech
instrumental	introvertem	introverty

Derived terms

• introvertní

 

Related terms

• See verš

• introverze f

 

Dutch

Pronunciation

• (file)

• Hyphenation: in‧tro‧vert

Adjective

introvert (comparative introverter, superlative introvertst)

1. introvert

Swedish

Adjective

introvert (comparative introvertare, superlative introvertast)

1. introverted

   Antonym: extrovert

2. (nominalized) an introvert

Declension

Inflection of introvert
Indefinite	Positive	Comparative	Superlative2
Common singular	introvert	introvertare	introvertast
Neuter singular	introvert	introvertare	introvertast
Plural	introverta	introvertare	introvertast
Masculine plural3	introverte	introvertare	introvertast
Definite	Positive	Comparative	Superlative
Masculine singular1	introverte	introvertare	introvertaste
All	introverta	introvertare	introvertaste
1) Only used, optionally, to refer to things whose natural gender is masculine. 2) The indefinite superlative forms are only used in the predicative. 3) Dated or archaic

See also

• inåtvänd

References

• introvert in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• introvert in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)