introspection

C2 Topic:Mind & Cognition
US /ɪntɹəˈspɛkʃən/
noun Freq #51590

Meanings

  1. 1
    noun

    A looking inward; specifically, the act or process of self-examination, or inspection of one's own thoughts and feelings; the cognition which the mind has of its own acts and states.

    If Adam Wheeler gave it some thought, or if someone were to prompt him with the right questions, he could put words around the fact that his existence doesn't bring him any satisfaction. He would discover, on introspection, that he's nowhere close, actually, to "happy", and that there is something vast and significant missing from his life. But he doesn't give it any thought. There's a void between him and those questions.

  2. 2
    noun

    the contemplation of your own thoughts and desires and conduct

  3. 3
    noun

    Clipping of type introspection.

Thesaurus

Synonyms
1 noun · a looking inward;... reflectionself-consciousness
2 noun · the contemplation of your... self-contemplationself-examination
More inlook
Opposites
dialogueextraspectionextrospection
Word family
Derived forms introspectionalintrospectionismintrospectionist
Related forms extraspectionextrospectionintrospectintrospectabilityintrospectivesoul-searching

Etymology

From Latin intrōspectiō, noun of action (with -iō) from past-participle (intrōspectus) stem of intrōspiciō (“to look into, look at, examine, observe attentively”), from intro- (“inward”) + speciō, spiciō (“to look at”). By surface analysis, introspect + -ion.

Topics

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