noun

INFP

eye-en-eff-PEE

INFP (noun) means one of the sixteen personality types in the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, standing for introverted, intuitive, feeling and perceiving. It describes someone typically characterised as quiet, idealistic, guided by personal values and imaginative rather than practical. Example: “As an INFP she found the constant client calls exhausting.”

noun

One of the sixteen personality types in the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, standing for introverted, intuitive, feeling and perceiving. It describes someone typically characterised as quiet, idealistic, guided by personal values and imaginative rather than practical.

"As an INFP she found the constant client calls exhausting."

"INFPs often gravitate towards writing, counselling and the arts."

How to Use INFP

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA personality-test result describing a quiet, idealistic, imaginative person.

When to use it

Informal; common in online personality communities and workplace team-building.

Memory tip

The trailing -A or -T sometimes seen, as in INFP-T, comes from the 16Personalities test rather than the original Myers-Briggs system.

Trace the full origin ↓

Easily confused with

INFJ ENFP ISFP

Common pairings

INFP personality type typical INFP INFP-T

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As an _____ she found the constant client calls exhausting.

Etymology

An initialism of the four Myers-Briggs preference letters: I for introversion, N for intuition, F for feeling and P for perceiving.

Origin: English

Synonyms

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the Mediator the Idealist

Rhymes for INFP

NFP

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between INFP and INFJ?

Both are quiet and values-driven, but the final letter changes a lot. INFJs prefer things decided and planned and tend towards firm conclusions about people, while INFPs prefer to keep options open and resist closing a question off.

Is INFP a rare personality type?

It is one of the less common types in most published Myers-Briggs samples, but the exact figures vary by country and survey and should not be treated as precise. Bear in mind that the MBTI itself is contested by psychologists.

Is the Myers-Briggs test scientifically valid?

Academic psychologists broadly regard it as unreliable, partly because many people get a different result when they retake it. It remains popular as a self-reflection tool rather than a diagnostic instrument.

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Vocabulary lists that include INFP:

Words That End With P