introspective

adjective

in·​tro·​spec·​tive ˌin-trə-ˈspek-tiv 

: characterized by examination of one's own thoughts and feelings : thoughtfully reflective : employing, marked by, or tending to introspection

As a student, he was very quiet and introspective.

… encouraging a balance between the fast, upbeat songs and a band's more introspective side.

—David T. Lindsay

There's an interesting literature that suggests that when people are sad, they tend to pay attention to themselves. They become withdrawn and introspective and very aware of their body and their mind and not very aware of the external world.

—Peter Salovey

introspectively adverb

This whole episode set me thinking introspectively, and led me gradually but imperatively to self-analysis—not of powers, but of motives.

—Bram Stoker

introspectiveness noun

Introversion is too often considered a sign of weakness when it should instead be an indication of strength, and associated with thoughtfulness, introspectiveness and independence.

—Jasmine Tatah

Examples of introspective in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

An interpretation of an introspective relationship drama can use poignant looks to make your heart ache. —Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 12 Dec. 2024

Fans of Taylor Swift relived the heartbreaks and self-discovery of her album Red, the celebratory joy of Lover, and the introspective storytelling of Folklore and Evermore. —Jeetendr Sehdev, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024

Somebody Somewhere is tiny: a gorgeous, introspective, intimate story about a woman with devastatingly mundane problems whose chief obstacle is her own aching sense of grief and dislocation. —Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 9 Dec. 2024

To Gavin, What a Relief takes an introspective look at herself and her relationship with love. —Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 2 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1819, in the meaning defined above