Choleric

Choleric is a term from the historical theory of the four temperaments, describing a temperament associated with choler, or yellow bile. The concept traces to ancient Greek medicine and was later developed by Galen, who linked personality to the balance of the body's four humors. In this framework, choleric individuals are characterized as energetic, ambitious, and quick to take action. They are often decisive, goal-oriented, and capable of rapid organization and leadership. When balanced, a choleric person can be resourceful and effective; when unbalanced, they may become irritable, impatient, or domineering and prone to anger.

The choleric temperament is one of four classic temperaments, alongside sanguine, melancholic, and phlegmatic. In modern psychology, the four temperaments are not part of accepted diagnostic frameworks; contemporary theories typically describe personality in terms of trait models, such as the Big Five. Nevertheless, the term persists as a historical or literary descriptor for a person inclined to strong, directed energy and assertive behavior.

In everyday language, "choleric" describes someone who is easily angered or quick to lose temper, though it is not a clinical category. It appears in historical writings, literary criticism, and discussions of early personality theories, as well as in discussions of temperament and character in cultural contexts.