emotional intelligence
noun
: the ability to recognize, understand, and deal skillfully with one's own emotions and the emotions of others (as by regulating one's emotions or by showing empathy and good judgment in social interactions)
A large part of emotional intelligence is being able to think about and empathize with how other people are feeling. This often involves considering how you would respond if you were in the same situation.—
Kendra Cherry
Kendra CherryWe know that young children learn to identify, explain, and regulate their emotions, but we know much less about how children learn these things. They undoubtedly acquire some of their emotional intelligence from adults–—parents, teachers, and coaches, for example.—Lawrence T. White
Lawrence T. White… thousands of workers during the "Great Resignation" discovered a new road map to success: being able to recognize and walk away from abusive situations. … Empathy, respectfulness and emotional intelligence are hallmarks of leaders for whom people enjoy working.—Karla L. Miller
—abbreviation EI
Karla L. Millercalled also emotional quotient
Examples of emotional intelligence in a Sentence
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That shows the family is teaching empathy, mutual respect, and emotional intelligence—precisely the opposite of what the uncle accused them of lacking.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Apr. 2025
In recent years, Merve Emre—a professor, literary critic, and contributing writer at this magazine—has tackled a range of culturally salient topics, including motherhood, emotional intelligence, and gimmicks.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 9 Apr. 2025
As someone who was an athlete, a team captain, and a coach and watched sports her whole life, Gaines has incorporated this knowledge into her training to address communications, negotiations, conflict resolution, emotional intelligence, team building, and cooperation, among many other things.
—Molly Peck, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2025
Inflection hoped to differentiate itself by building a chatbot with a high emotional intelligence, and the company was at one point valued at US $4 billion.
—IEEE Spectrum, 1 Apr. 2025
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Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Apr. 2025
In recent years, Merve Emre—a professor, literary critic, and contributing writer at this magazine—has tackled a range of culturally salient topics, including motherhood, emotional intelligence, and gimmicks.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 9 Apr. 2025
As someone who was an athlete, a team captain, and a coach and watched sports her whole life, Gaines has incorporated this knowledge into her training to address communications, negotiations, conflict resolution, emotional intelligence, team building, and cooperation, among many other things.
—Molly Peck, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2025
Inflection hoped to differentiate itself by building a chatbot with a high emotional intelligence, and the company was at one point valued at US $4 billion.
—IEEE Spectrum, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for emotional intelligence
Cite this Entry
“Emotional intelligence.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/emotional%20intelligence. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
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