introspection
Americannoun
-
observation or examination of one's own mental and emotional state, mental processes, etc.; the act of looking within oneself.
- Synonyms:
- soul-searching, self-examination
-
the tendency or disposition to do this.
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of introspection
First recorded in 1670–80; from Latin intrōspect(us) “looked within” (past participle of intrōspicere “to look within,” from intrō- intro- + -spicere, combining form of specere “to see, observe, look”) + -iō -ion
Explanation
Introspection means "to look inside," and describes the act of thinking about your own actions or inner thoughts. When you examine what you do, say, think or feel and how it affects your life and the lives of others, that's introspection. It's easy to piece together the meaning of the noun introspection. Consider that intro means "within," while spec is from the Latin for "look." So you can tell that the word means the act of "looking within." Introspection isn't "thinking about yourself" in the sense of calculating your own interests; it's more like searching inside in order to understand yourself — what some people mock as "navel gazing." Nineteenth-century philosopher William Godwin once said, “The philosophy of the wisest man that ever existed is mainly derived from the act of introspection.”
Vocabulary lists containing introspection
On Your Mark, Get Set, Commence Your Life!
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Psychology
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Rebecca
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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.
And although he lived on Walden Pond from 1845 to 1847, the resulting volume of nature-inspired introspection would not be published until 1854.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2026
Around 1,000 miles into the ocean from Portugal these islands offer opportunities for whale-watching and productive introspection on how to find the right partner.
From BBC • May 21, 2026
But quibbling over individual op-eds let him sidestep some uncomfortable introspection.
From Slate • Apr. 17, 2026
“It’s a little bit complicated when they put an image in your head and now you’re stuck with it,” he sings in “Paint by Numbers,” which pretty handily demonstrates how lightweight the introspection is here.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 9, 2026
She emptied and sluiced the bedpans, swept and polished floors, made cocoa and Bovril, fetched and carried—and was delivered from introspection.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
