What does extravert mean?
An extravert is a person whose temperament leans toward outward engagement with the world: someone sociable, expressive, and energized by the company of others rather than drained by it. The term comes from psychology, where Carl Gustav Jung introduced it as one half of his fundamental personality dimension, contrasting the extravert with the introvert. In everyday speech it describes anyone gregarious and outgoing — the colleague who thrives at networking events, the friend who rallies everyone for a group outing. Although "extrovert" is now the far more common spelling in casual writing, "extravert" remains the form favored in scholarly psychology, since it reflects the word's Latin roots more faithfully. Used neutrally or approvingly, it captures a real and widely recognized difference in how people draw energy from their surroundings.
nounAn extravert is a person whose personality is outgoing and socially confident, who is energized by interacting with other people rather than by solitude. It is a standard variant spelling of "extrovert," the form originally used by C.G. Jung in English translations of his work.
- A person characterized by outgoing, sociable behavior and by deriving energy from interaction with others; in psychology, one of the two poles of the introversion–extraversion dimension of personality.
"As a natural extravert, Priya recharged after long days by hosting dinner parties rather than retreating to a quiet room."
"The role suited her perfectly, since a good sales director needs to be something of an extravert."
"On the introversion–extraversion scale, he scored firmly on the extravert side, though not at the extreme."
Standard plural; used both in general conversation and in psychological writing when discussing groups or populations.
"Extraverts tend to think out loud, processing ideas best in conversation with others."
Jung actually coined the term as "extravert" — the popular "extrovert" spelling is technically the typo that won.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of extravert
The word derives from Latin extra- ("outside") plus vertere ("to turn"), so literally "one turned outward." It was introduced into modern psychology through C.G. Jung's writings in the early twentieth century as the counterpart to "introvert." An alternative spelling, "extrovert," arose early and has since become dominant in general English, though "extravert" persists in academic psychology.
How extravert is actually used
"Extravert" is the historically original and psychologically preferred spelling, used in much of the academic literature on personality, while "extrovert" dominates everyday usage in both British and American English. The word carries a broadly neutral-to-positive connotation, though it can occasionally imply someone who is overly boisterous. Its adjective counterpart is usually written "extraverted" or "extravertive" in psychological contexts.
Easily confused with extravert
"Extrovert" and "extravert" mean exactly the same thing — they are variant spellings — but "extrovert" (with an -o-) is far more common in modern general use, while "extravert" survives as the form preferred in academic psychology.
An introvert is energized by solitude and quiet reflection, whereas an extravert is energized by social interaction with others.