Outgoingness

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The attribute of demonstrating a friendly and sociable nature encompasses a willingness to connect with others and actively participate in social settings
2. The quality of being warmly friendly and eager to engage with people
3. A tendency to be open, approachable, and energetic in social interactions

Etymology: "Outgoingness" is simply "outgoing" with the suffix "-ness" added, the same suffix that turns "happy" into "happiness" or "kind" into "kindness." The suffix comes from Old English "-nes," which formed abstract nouns naming a quality or state, so the word means the condition of being outgoing. The base word "outgoing" is itself a compound of "out" and "going," and its sense has shifted over time. Originally it referred to a literal departure or movement away from a place, as in an outgoing tide or outgoing mail. The sense of a sociable, friendly disposition developed from the idea of a person whose energy and attention flow outward toward others, rather than inward toward themselves.

Synonyms: extroversion, sociability, friendliness

Antonyms: introversion, reservedness