naivete

noun

na·​ive·​te nä-ˌēv-ˈtā 

-ˌē-və-;

nä-ˈēv-ˌtā,

-ˈē-və-;

nī-

variants or naïveté or less commonly naiveté

1

: a naive remark or action

The farce is noted for its ridiculous acts and naïvetés.

2

: the quality or state of being naive

His account sometimes displays a gee-whiz naiveté …

—Gregory McNamee

Synonyms

• artlessness
• greenness
• guilelessness
• ingenuousness
• innocence
• naiveness
• naivety [chiefly British]
• naïvety
• naturalness
• simplemindedness
• simpleness
• simplicity
• unsophistication
• unworldliness
• viridity

Examples of naivete in a Sentence

her naïveté led her to leave her new car unlocked while she shopped at the mall

though he was streetwise, the investigative reporter regularly assumed an air of naïveté when he was interviewing confidence men, charlatans, counterfeiters, and other assorted swindlers of the general public

Recent Examples on the Web

That is sort of where the disappointment comes from … my naivete. —Todd Gilchrist, Variety, 17 Sep. 2024

But for whatever naivete the interaction implies, Sweetpea is no ingénue. —Chloe Schama, Vogue, 13 Sep. 2024

How Oz convinces others to go along with his schemes or save his skin becomes a recurring bit that would be impossible to believe if there wasn’t a real-world parallel proving just how plausible people’s heinous naivete has become. —Ben Travers, IndieWire, 12 Sep. 2024

MacKay has the perfect blend of naivete and curiosity, and all the others, particularly Gallagher as the longtime Friend deliver. —Pete Hammond, Deadline, 31 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

French naïveté, from Old French, inborn character, from naif

First Known Use

1673, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

naïvete

noun

na·​ïve·​te

variants also naivete

(ˌ)nä-ˌēv(-ə)-ˈtā,

nä-ˈēv(-ə)-tā

1

: the quality or state of being naive

2

: a naive remark or action