Meaning & use
introspective
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Meaning
adjectivenot comparable
In the habit of thinking carefully about your own thoughts, feelings, and reasons for acting.
Grammar: Describes a tendency rather than a degree; usually before a noun or after be/seem.
Patterns
- introspective person
- become introspective
- quietly introspective
The novel is quiet and deeply introspective.
He became introspective after the move.
She is thoughtful, but not especially introspective.
Common combinations
- introspective person
- An introspective person may keep a private journal.
- deeply introspective
- The letter sounded deeply introspective.
- introspective mood
- Rain put him in an introspective mood.
- turn introspective
- After the argument, the conversation turned introspective.
Synonyms and how they differ
- reflective
- Very close, but can also mean thoughtful about the world or an idea, not only the self.
- contemplative
- Suggests calm, sustained thought, often spiritual or philosophical.
- self-examining
- Directly stresses judging one's own motives, often more active than a general introspective habit.
- meditative
- Focuses on a quiet thinking state; introspective focuses on examining inner experience.
Opposites
Word family
- introspection noun
- The careful examination of your own thoughts and feelings.
- introspectively adverb
- In an introspective way.
- introspect verb
- To examine your own thoughts and feelings; uncommon.
Commonly confused: introspective or retrospective? introspective or extroverted?
introspective vs retrospective
Retrospective looks back at past events; introspective looks inward at your own mind.
introspective vs extroverted
Extroverted describes outgoing energy; it is related in personality talk but is not the direct opposite of examining inner life.
Practice
Choose the best completion: Writing helped him become more ___ about his motives.
Choose one answer.
Introspective means examining your own motives. Retrospective looks backward, introverted describes social orientation, and instructive means teaching something.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “introspective”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.