extrovert

American  

[ek-struh-vurt, -stroh-] / ˈɛk strəˌvɜrt, -stroʊ- /

Also extravert

noun

1. an outgoing, gregarious person who thrives in dynamic environments and seeks to maximize social engagement.

2. Psychology. a person characterized by extroversion; a person concerned primarily with the physical and social environment.

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adjective

1. having a disposition that is energized through social engagement and languishes or chafes in solitude, resulting in a personality that is gregarious, outgoing, and sociable.

2. Psychology. marked by extroversion.

verb (used with object)

1. Psychology. to direct (the mind, one's interest, etc.) outward or to things outside the self.

extrovert British  

/ ˈɛkstrəˌvɜːt /

noun

1. a person concerned more with external reality than inner feelings

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adjective

1. of or characterized by extroversion

   extrovert tendencies

extrovert Cultural  

1. A term introduced by the psychologist Carl Jung to describe a person whose motives and actions are directed outward. Extroverts are more prone to action than contemplation, make friends readily, adjust easily to social situations, and generally show warm interest in their surroundings. (Compare introvert.)

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Usage

What does extrovert mean? An extrovert is someone said to have a personality type that is social and outgoing. The term extrovert is often contrasted with the term introvert in the study, classification, and popular discussion of personality types. Extroverts enjoy being around other people and tend to focus on the outside world, while introverts are the opposite—they prefer solitude and tend to focus on their own thoughts. Someone who’s an extrovert can be described as extroverted or as displaying extroversion. Less commonly, the word can be spelled extravert. Example: Giovanni was the kind of extrovert who gave everyone a personalized greeting upon entering the room.

Other Word Forms

• extroverted
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of extrovert

First recorded in 1665–75; extro- + Latin vertere “to turn”

Explanation

An extrovert is a friendly person who enjoys talking to and being with other people. Extroverts love parties, talking on the phone, and meeting new people. This noun has a specialized sense in psychology, and its opposite is introvert. Psychologists sometimes kick it old school and spell it extravert. As a psychological term, it was borrowed from German extravertiert, from the prefix extra-, "outside, beyond" plus Latin vertere, "to turn." Thanks, Carl Jung! Its opposite is introvert, which means shy or turned inward.

Example Sentences

Talking to an AI every day satisfied my extrovert cravings for conversation and interaction.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 2, 2025

Frost thinks it was an "incredibly ingenious decision" to make Carr a traitor "because he's giggly and extrovert and doesn't seem to be able to ever filter what he says or keep a secret".

From BBC • Oct. 10, 2025

His uncle, he said, was an extrovert and was always laughing.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 22, 2025

My younger daughter, the extrovert in a family of introverts, planned her outfit with care, choosing to rep the "1989" era.

From Salon • Apr. 23, 2024

Oppie’s startled host replied that Ernest “had always seemed to my observation to be a very picture of the extrovert, the satisfied man, the man of bounce and buoyancy.”

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik