extrovert

1 of 2

noun

ex·​tro·​vert ˈek-strə-ˌvərt How to pronounce extrovert (audio)
variants or less commonly extravert
plural extroverts also extraverts
: a person whose personality is characterized by extroversion : a typically gregarious and unreserved person who enjoys and seeks out social interaction
Extroverts are more recognized because of their affable nature, while introverts struggle to break out of their personal space …Helen Wu

Note: The psychologist Carl Gustav Jung first introduced the terms extrovert, extroversion, introvert, and introversion in the early 1900s to describe personality types that focus a person's energy on either the inner or outer world. The terms extrovert and introvert have since become widely popularized, with extrovert often broadly used to mean "an outgoing, sociable, or talkative person."

… an extrovert who is hopelessly chatty …Rick Reilly
compare introvert entry 1 sense 1

extrovert

2 of 2

adjective

variants or less commonly extravert
: extroverted
an extrovert nature
Beckett's father was extrovert and adored.Anthony Burgess

Did you know?

Jung and the Extrovert

Extrovert (sometimes spelled extravert) means basically "turned outward"—that is, toward things outside oneself. The word was coined by the eminent psychologist C. G. Jung in the early 20th century. The opposite personality type, in Jung's view, was the introvert. Extroverts seem to be favored by societies such as ours, even though introverts seem to be on average more mentally gifted. Psychologists have said that the only personality traits that can be identified in newborn infants are shyness and lack of shyness, which are fairly close to—but not really the same as—introversion and extroversion.

Examples of extrovert in a Sentence

Noun a natural extrovert, he mixes well in any social situation
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Leadership, we’re told, belongs to the extroverts—the ones who command rooms, deliver inspiring speeches, and thrive in the spotlight. Benjamin Laker, Forbes, 14 Oct. 2024 But the same level of reflection hasn’t happened with extroverts, said Hackston. Monica Pitrelli, CNBC, 9 Oct. 2024
Adjective
While not every hire has to be an extrovert, leaders often risk losing some of their best talent when quiet wheels are not given enough grease. Tim Madden, Forbes, 14 Oct. 2024 Got an extrovert on your team who loves public speaking? Lien De Pau, Forbes, 18 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for extrovert 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'extrovert.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

back-formation from extroverted

Adjective

from attributive use of extrovert entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1918, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1920, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of extrovert was in 1918

Dictionary Entries Near extrovert

Cite this Entry

“Extrovert.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/extrovert. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

extrovert

noun
ex·​tro·​vert
variants also extravert
1
: a person who is interested only or mostly in things outside the self
2
: a gregarious and unreserved person
extroversion
ˌek-strə-ˈvər-zhən
-shən
noun
extroverted
ˈek-strə-ˌvərt-əd
adjective

Medical Definition

extrovert

1 of 2 noun
variants also extravert
: a person whose personality is characterized by extroversion : a typically gregarious and unreserved person who enjoys and seeks out social interaction

Note: The psychologist C. G. Jung first introduced the terms extrovert, extroversion, introvert, and introversion in the early 1900s to describe personality types that focus a person's energy on either the inner or outer world. The terms extrovert and introvert have since become widely popularized with extrovert often broadly used to mean "an outgoing, sociable, or talkative person."

compare introvert

extrovert

2 of 2 adjective
ex·​tro·​vert
variants also extravert

More from Merriam-Webster on extrovert

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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