Extravert

/ˈɛkstrəvɜrt/ noun

Definition

A person whose personality is oriented toward the external world, who is energized by social interaction and tends to be outgoing and talkative.

Etymology

Coined by Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung in 1921 from extra- (outward) + Latin versus (turned). Jung used it as a technical term to describe one of two fundamental personality attitudes, contrasting with introvert.

Kelly Says

Jung actually spelled it 'extravert' not 'extrovert,' but both spellings are used today—the 'extra-' spelling is more technically precise because it means 'beyond' while 'extro-' isn't a real Latin prefix!

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