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ambiversion

[ am-bi-vur-zhuhn, -shuhn, am-bi-vur- ]

noun

, Psychology.
  1. a state intermediate between extroversion and introversion.


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Other Words From

  • am·bi·ver·sive [am-bi-, vur, -siv], adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of ambiversion1

1925–30; ambi- + -version, as in extroversion, introversion

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More About Ambiversion

What does ambiversion mean?

Ambiversion is the state or quality of being an ambivert—someone said to have a personality type that is in between that of an introvert (shy and reserved) and an extrovert (outgoing).

Ambiversion is often contrasted with the terms introversion and extroversion in the study, classification, and popular discussion of personality types.

Example: Ambiversion usually means that you love going out with friends but sometimes would just rather stay home and have some alone time.

Where does ambiversion come from?

The first records of the words ambivert and ambiversion come from around the 1920s. The root of both words is vert, from the Latin vertere, meaning “to turn.” So, introverts turn inward. Extroverts turn outward. And ambiverts can turn both ways: the prefix ambi- means “both.” You’ve seen it in ambidextrous (“able to use both hands”) and ambiguous (“having several possible meanings”).

Most theories about personality types agree that a person usually has some elements of introversion and some elements of extroversion. However, many of these theories state that one of those tends to be stronger. Ambiversion, though, implies that a person can act or feel differently at different times, without being primarily outgoing or primarily reserved.

Due to the popularity of personality tests and discussion about personality types, you’ll see ambiversion frequently used in popular psychology articles, though perhaps less commonly than introvert and extrovert. But that doesn’t mean ambiverts aren’t common.

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What are some other forms of ambiversion?

  • ambivert (noun)
  • ambiversive (adjective)

What are some words that share a root or word element with ambiversion

 

What are some words that often get used in discussing ambiversion?

 

How is ambiversion used in real life?

Many people use ambiversion when discussing how they sometimes like to socialize and sometimes would rather keep to themselves. Sound familiar?

 

 

Try using ambiversion!

Do you think you display traits of ambiversion? If so, explain why. If not, explain which personality type you think most applies to you.

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ambivalent sexismambivert