extrovert

American  

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

Also extravert

noun

• extroverts
  plural

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

Derived Forms

• extroverted
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• extroverts
  plural

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

See Examples For:

extrovert extroverts

She describes herself as an extrovert and says she now has opportunities she never imagined growing up in Afghanistan.

From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026

I am an extrovert with a large circle of friends and a close family.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2025

An extrovert better than I was at mingling.

From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2025

"I'm an introvert, and she's the exact opposite. She's an extrovert, she loves people, she loves to have fun. People love her, she has a good heart," he said.

From BBC ● May 1, 2025

Captain Flume had entered his bed that night a buoyant extrovert and left it the next morning a brooding introvert, and Chief White Halfoat proudly regarded the new Captain Flume as his own creation.

From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller

After some grumbling among initial group members about letting extroverts in, Honoré tweaked the language to introverts and allies.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 23, 2025

It could be, he added, that the researchers are “picking up on the development of extroversion, and extroverts are more likely to check their social media.”

From New York Times ● Jan. 3, 2023

She taught herself production at age 16, developing her own brand of soft-hearted, lo-fi jungle for "introverted extroverts".

From BBC ● Nov. 29, 2022

Even among this crowd of extroverts, some stand out.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 14, 2022

Both Reginald and Mary were quiet types, and Ella and I were extroverts.

From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey