inwardness
Americannoun
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the state of being inward or internal.
the inwardness of the body's organs.
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depth of thought or feeling; concern with one's own affairs and oneself; introspection.
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preoccupation with what concerns human inner nature; spirituality.
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the fundamental or intrinsic character of something; essence.
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inner meaning or significance.
Etymology
Origin of inwardness
Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at inward, -ness
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.
While Jesus is engaged with the world outside himself, Mary’s state is one of remote, distracted inwardness.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026
The inwardness of McCorkle’s Omar has an overwhelming gravity.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2022
The book liberated and celebrated the experience of inwardness amid the American obsession with outward “likability” and charismatic confidence.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 8, 2022
Even before the isolation of the past year, Valerie June’s artistic intuition had led her toward thoughts of stillness, meditation and inwardness.
From New York Times ● Mar. 4, 2021
Their entrenched inwardness, a profoundly interior consciousness, seemed at times woven into their personalities.
From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
