Interiority

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The quality of being inward-looking and reflective, where thoughts and feelings are emphasized alongside the exploration of inner life and identity
2. A state or condition characterizing deep introspection and self-examination, highlighting personal emotions and mental processes
3. The concept that relates to one's internal mental and emotional landscape, encompassing personal experiences, thoughts, and subjective realities

Etymology: "Interiority" is a plain formation: the adjective "interior" with the suffix "-ity" added. "Interior" came into English from Latin "interior," the comparative of "interus," meaning "inner," and "-ity" carries the sense of a state or quality, so the noun names the condition of being inward. The suffix has a longer pedigree than the base word, passing through Latin "-itas" and Old French "-ite" before reaching Middle English as "-ite" and settling into modern English "-ity." The sense that matters here is the one the word has taken on since. Its everyday meaning is about the inner world of a mind rather than physical insides: the private stream of thoughts, feelings and perceptions that no one else can directly observe. That shift from a spatial idea (what lies within a container) to a psychological one (what lies within a person) is the whole story of the word, and "interior" itself made that move before "interiority" ever did.

Synonyms: inner self, interior

Antonyms: exteriority