unsophisticated

adjective

un·​so·​phis·​ti·​cat·​ed ˌən-sə-ˈfi-stə-ˌkā-təd 

: not sophisticated: such as

a

: not changed or corrupted : genuine

b(1)

: not worldly-wise : lacking social or economic sophistication

(2)

: lacking complexity of structure : simple, straightforward

an unsophisticated analysis

unsophisticated rhythms

Synonyms

• aw-shucks
• dewy
• dewy-eyed
• green
• ingenuous
• innocent
• naïf
• naif
• naive
• naïve
• primitive
• simple
• simpleminded
• uncritical
• unknowing
• unsuspecting
• unsuspicious
• unwary
• unworldly
• wide-eyed

Choose the Right Synonym for unsophisticated

natural, ingenuous, naive, unsophisticated, artless mean free from pretension or calculation.

natural implies lacking artificiality and self-consciousness and having a spontaneousness suggesting the natural rather than the man-made world.

her unaffected, natural manner

ingenuous implies inability to disguise or conceal one's feelings or intentions.

the ingenuous enthusiasm of children

naive suggests lack of worldly wisdom often connoting credulousness and unchecked innocence.

politically naive

unsophisticated implies a lack of experience and training necessary for social ease and adroitness.

unsophisticated adolescents

artless suggests a naturalness resulting from unawareness of the effect one is producing on others.

artless charm

Examples of unsophisticated in a Sentence

She was innocent and unsophisticated when she left for college.

unsophisticated teens and young adults hoping to expand their world view by spending a year abroad

Recent Examples on the Web

Celebrities who become enamored with cryptocurrency and try to become entrepreneurs tend to end up losing money for their unsophisticated fans. —Brady Dale, Axios, 17 Sep. 2024

Critical infrastructure organizations, including hospitals and water systems, are being bombarded with unsophisticated but debilitating cyberattacks. —Maria Curi, Axios, 14 Aug. 2024

In addition, contemporary critics contend that the illustrations of Uncle Remus solicited by the publisher to accompany Harris’ tales contributed to the stereotype of the uneducated, unsophisticated, yet happy, Black man in the post-Civil War South. —Bethanee Bemis, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 June 2024

In this respect, Franklin and Washington, whose language is their hereditary mother tongue, unsophisticated by modern grammar, present as pure models of genuine English, as Addison or Swift. —Liz Tracey, JSTOR Daily, 19 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1630, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

unsophisticated

adjective

un·​so·​phis·​ti·​cat·​ed ˌən(t)-sə-ˈfis-tə-ˌkāt-əd 

1

: not sophisticated

was still innocent and unsophisticated

2

: not complex : plain, simple

unsophisticated designs

unsophistication

-ˌfis-tə-ˈkā-shən

noun