Introspection definition : observation or examination of one's own mental and emotional state, mental processes, etc.; the act of looking within oneself.. See examples of INTROSPECTION used in a sentence. Introspection is the examining of your own thoughts, ideas, and feelings. Learn the synonyms, derived forms, word origin, and usage examples of introspection from Collins English Dictionary. Introspection means "to look inside," and describes the act of thinking about your own actions or inner thoughts. When you examine what you do, say, think or feel and how it affects your life and the lives of others, that's introspection .