introspective
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of introspective
First recorded in 1800–10; from Latin intrōspect(us), past participle of intrōspicere “to look within” + -ive ( def. ); see introspection ( def. )
Explanation
Someone who is introspective spends considerable time examining his own thoughts and feelings. If you take to your diary after an unhappy break-up, you are being introspective. The Latin word introspicere means to look inside, and that's what an introspective person does, metaphorically speaking. It's different from meditative and pensive in that they can refer to contemplating anything, whereas introspection involves specifically contemplating yourself.
Vocabulary lists containing introspective
Common Senses: Spec, Spect, Spic ("Look")
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "I"
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Think Like Sherlock: It's Elementary
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
At Regen Projects, however, her work takes a quiet, introspective form.
From Los Angeles Times • May 26, 2026
Housel: I hope they become more introspective and more willing to look in the mirror and ask what genuinely works for them, even if it’s totally different from what social media tells them to want.
From MarketWatch • Jan. 21, 2026
Formed in the early 2010s, BTS were at the forefront of popularising K-pop with mainstream audiences in the west, thanks to their energetic blend of slick dance pop and hip-hop, and surprisingly introspective lyrics.
From BBC • Jan. 13, 2026
For as tender and quietly introspective as Joachim Trier’s “Sentimental Value” eventually becomes, the Norwegian writer-director’s latest film opens in a frenzy.
From Salon • Nov. 23, 2025
Three days passed: after them, Ray Gusdorf quietly emerged from the Midnight Mountains a different human being—mature, introspective, curiously subdued.
From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
