introvert
n. countablen. a person who prefers calm environments and needs time alone to recharge their energy. You might call yourself this if large social gatherings leave you feeling exhausted rather than energized.
n. a person characterised by a preference for solitary activities and low-stimulation environments. In psychological terms, it describes someone who expends social energy in large groups and recovers it in isolation.
As an introvert, he prefers reading a book at home over going to parties.
The team retreat was designed with introverts in mind, offering plenty of quiet breaks between the mandatory group brainstorming sessions.
Modern workplace designs often fail the introvert, as open-plan offices strip away the physical boundaries necessary for deep, uninterrupted focus and quiet reflection.
From New Latin intrōvertere, from intro- (“within”) and vertere (“to turn”). Popularized as a psychological term by the German works of Carl Jung. By surface analysis, intro- + -vert.
Frequently contrasted with 'extrovert'. While it can function as an adjective, the participial form 'introverted' is much more common in modern prose.