Extro

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A person characterized by outgoing behavior and a preference for social interaction rather than solitary activities
2. An individual who is energized by engaging with others and tends to seek out social settings rather than remaining alone
3. Someone who is sociable and often thrives in group environments, exhibiting enthusiasm in social exchanges

Etymology: "Extro" is a clipped form of "extrovert," so its history is really the history of that word. The source traces it to "intro," itself a short form of "introvert," and to the prefixes "in-" and "ex-". The two prefixes do opposite jobs: "in-" means "into" or "within," while "ex-" means "out" or "outward." Put together in the original "extrovert," the pair describes a mind turned outward toward the world rather than inward toward itself. The "extro" half of the word is simply the "ex-" element, with the "-vert" ending dropped. Speakers of English have long used "intro" and "extro" as informal shorthand, so a word that began as a learned coinage ended up as a casual label for a sociable person.

Synonyms: extrovert, outgoing person

Antonyms: introvert, reserved person