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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
See Examples For:
On AllMusic, Neil Yeung called it "a late-era treasure trove, external" full of "emotional catharsis and introspection".
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
That makes it hard to recall his moments of introspection.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 13, 2026
John Adams’ “Harmonium” operates on questioning, shifting moods of introspection, humility and awe.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 9, 2026
The rest of the album alternates between chaos and control, introspection and criticism, grungy beats and hazy surrealism.
From Salon ● Jun. 5, 2026
Once the fighting started, Van Riper didn’t want introspection.
From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell
Among the wisest of Coop’s early introspections considers the way that the race to acquire status symbols makes you lose sight of the things that once mattered.
From Salon ● Apr. 11, 2025
Spill Tab is more than your run-of-the-mill bedroom pop act, though: Chicha’s quiet voice slices through dreamy, electro-dance ready introspections.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 2, 2021
Their intimacies and intricacies are introspections and an antidote to see-me thirst traps.
From The New Yorker ● Aug. 2, 2018
Brown's and Voorham's solos were introspections, exploring how the body can give finely nuanced voice to private worlds, private thoughts.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 5, 2011
Furthermore, in this case we have a much more specific explanation for why introspections mess up our reactions.
From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell
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.
