emotional intelligence

noun

: the ability to recognize, understand, and deal skillfully with one's own emotions and the emotions of others (as by regulating one's emotions or by showing empathy and good judgment in social interactions)

A large part of emotional intelligence is being able to think about and empathize with how other people are feeling. This often involves considering how you would respond if you were in the same situation.

—Kendra Cherry

We know that young children learn to identify, explain, and regulate their emotions, but we know much less about how children learn these things. They undoubtedly acquire some of their emotional intelligence from adults–—parents, teachers, and coaches, for example.

—Lawrence T. White

… thousands of workers during the "Great Resignation" discovered a new road map to success: being able to recognize and walk away from abusive situations. … Empathy, respectfulness and emotional intelligence are hallmarks of leaders for whom people enjoy working.

—Karla L. Miller

—abbreviation EI

called also emotional quotient

Examples of emotional intelligence in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Click on these links to find out how AbbVie holds leaders accountable, Cisco uses AI agents, DHL Express trains supervisors, Hilton adapts to different cultures, the world’s largest call center operator blends AI with emotional intelligence, and the Nordic approach builds engagement. —Diane Brady, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2025

Tkachuk has been the spark that has ignited Florida to three consecutive Cup Final runs with his emotional intelligence and clutch performance when the stakes rise. —Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2025

In fact, Newman said, only children often demonstrated generosity, social skills and emotional intelligence. —Adrianna Rodriguez, USA Today, 26 Sep. 2025

Constantly blaming others when mistakes are made, or obstacles arise, is a surefire sign that someone doesn’t have emotional intelligence — a trait with a strong correlation to workplace success — according to bestselling authors and communication experts Kathy and Ross Petras. —Ashton Jackson, CNBC, 23 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1978, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for emotional intelligence

• counterintelligence