variants
also naivete
or naiveté
1
as in innocence
the quality or state of being simple and sincere
her naïveté led her to leave her new car unlocked while she shopped at the mall
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in gullibility
readiness to believe the claims of others without sufficient evidence
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of naïveté
In turn, the film presents the trio as the three versions of womanhood: Pinky’s youth and naivete, Millie’s seductive ambition, and Willie’s maternal homemaker warmth.
—
Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 3 Mar. 2025
There’s a lot of naivete, certainly, in certain forms of popular music.
—Katherine Turman, SPIN, 3 Feb. 2025
Tascioni is an exuberant person by nature, which many antagonists mistake for naivete.
—Rachel Elspeth Gross, Forbes, 8 Jan. 2025
Biden’s naivete on the matter can perhaps be excused, but not Trump’s.
—John Tamny, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024
Perhaps the spectacle of naivete is all part of the Altman image.
—Allison Morrow, CNN, 5 Dec. 2024
So Americans who don't travel, who 80 percent don't have a passport, who are uneducated, are in their extraordinary naivete.
—Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 28 Nov. 2024
The naivete is challenging to understand when attackers use virtually every standard tool—from hardware and software to cloud resources—to conduct their operations.
—Denis Mandich, Forbes, 21 Oct. 2024
Anderson plays Shelley with a consummate sweetness that sometimes registers as naivete.
—Esther Zuckerman, TIME, 7 Sep. 2024
Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 3 Mar. 2025
There’s a lot of naivete, certainly, in certain forms of popular music.
—Katherine Turman, SPIN, 3 Feb. 2025
Tascioni is an exuberant person by nature, which many antagonists mistake for naivete.
—Rachel Elspeth Gross, Forbes, 8 Jan. 2025
Biden’s naivete on the matter can perhaps be excused, but not Trump’s.
—John Tamny, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024
Perhaps the spectacle of naivete is all part of the Altman image.
—Allison Morrow, CNN, 5 Dec. 2024
So Americans who don't travel, who 80 percent don't have a passport, who are uneducated, are in their extraordinary naivete.
—Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 28 Nov. 2024
The naivete is challenging to understand when attackers use virtually every standard tool—from hardware and software to cloud resources—to conduct their operations.
—Denis Mandich, Forbes, 21 Oct. 2024
Anderson plays Shelley with a consummate sweetness that sometimes registers as naivete.
—Esther Zuckerman, TIME, 7 Sep. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for naïveté
Noun
-
Pitino maintained his innocence throughout that scandal, which included allegations that Adidas representatives funneled $100,000 to the family of a Louisville recruit.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
17 Mar. 2025
-
However, O’Neill Burke said the office’s position on issuing certificates of innocence has shifted.—
Madeline Buckley,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
But the simplicity of the sequence of events — Smith’s shot perfectly careening off the side of the rim and Şengün’s subsequent positioning for the putback — was indicative of Houston’s rebounding prowess.—
Kelly Iko,
The Athletic,
18 Mar. 2025
-
These businesses are hard to find in an increasingly complex world, but Munger recognized that simplicity wins.—
Steve Booren,
The Denver Post,
16 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Businesses can establish trust more quickly by collaborating with organizations, influencers or brands that already have credibility within the new demographic.—
Adam Povlitz,
Forbes,
18 Mar. 2025
-
By crying wolf at everything, all credibility is lost.—
Nicolee Ambrose,
Baltimore Sun,
17 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
This executive order is politically motivated, cruel and based on ignorance, not on facts.—
Amy-lynn Fischer,
The Mercury News,
3 Mar. 2025
-
This condition is what philosopher Charles Mills, speaking of the American context, labeled epistemological ignorance—a deliberate unknowing, an insistence on the myth of white superiority, of white exceptionalism.—
Christine Winter,
Artforum,
1 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
As the second season wears on, this notion warps the plot in ways that strain credulity, and the series’ innumerable cliffhangers gum up the narrative with artificial tension.—
Daniel A. Gross,
The New Yorker,
17 Jan. 2025
-
In his absence — and the long-term absences, at various times, of Barnes, Quickley, Barrett, Poeltl, Kelly Olynyk and others — the Raptors have had to throw out some lineups that strain credulity as legitimate NBA lineups.—
Eric Koreen,
The Athletic,
29 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
Cruelty and condescension also figure frequently in the director’s work, bringing an acrid aftertaste to this reflection on the insularity of wealth and class, and the naivety of showing disdain for privilege to well-heeled prospective in-laws.—
David Rooney,
The Hollywood Reporter,
3 Sep. 2019
-
Chicago victims of credit card scam warn others to be on guard: ‘I was just blinded by my naivety’ Chicago victims of credit card scam warn others to be on guard: 'I was just blinded by my naivety' Editorial: Donald Trump uses Democrats as stooges at address to Congress.—
Molly Morrow,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Clearly, today's reading continues to be one of bullish optimism.—
John S. Tobey,
Forbes,
10 Mar. 2025
-
Despite optimism, the administration has faced space constraints.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
Fox News,
10 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Naïveté.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/na%C3%AFvet%C3%A9. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
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