variants also naivete or naiveté
1
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

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of naïveté 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 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 Reflecting on the saga now, Siwa is convinced her naivete had worked to her advantage. Lacey Rose, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Aug. 2024 Whether led by great hubris or sweet naivete, Treadwell ignored all common sense and conventional wisdom about the animals and began to consider them as friends. Indiewire Staff, IndieWire, 12 Aug. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for naïveté
Noun
  • The verdict came as a disappointment to Woodland, who maintains his innocence and had hoped for leniency.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
  • Stanley dropped the charges in 2022, and Morphew has maintained his innocence.
    Shelly Bradbury, The Denver Post, 4 Nov. 2024
Noun
  • The production’s simplicity ditched the cliches that have accumulated around the play over decades.
    Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2024
  • Raines believes that simplicity also applies to his politics.
    Terry Collins, USA TODAY, 4 Nov. 2024
Noun
  • This attention to detail translates to trust and credibility, making investors more likely to believe in your vision and capabilities.
    Kate Buckley, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
  • Taking sides in a political debate can damage your credibility and alienate certain team members.
    Stephen Nalley, Rolling Stone, 5 Nov. 2024
Noun
  • What’s the difference between ignorance and apathy?
    Fiona Tapp, Parents, 5 Nov. 2024
  • Because so many celebrities presume to lecture us on behavior and politics, the game’s display of ignorance on both the professional and civilian side is stunning.
    Armond White, National Review, 16 Oct. 2024
Noun
  • In less assured hands, the combination of genres might have backfired terribly, but director Alan Gibson shepherds the production through its various tones without ever straining credulity in a way that impedes the entertainment value.
    Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 30 Oct. 2024
  • But the plot strains credulity to the breaking point.
    Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 27 Oct. 2024
Noun
  • To the everyday sort of life, these are empty, almost useless ingredients for anything else, but to create in, to write in, idle time, free time, even boredom, and naivety are really important and can be so powerful.
    Steve Baltin, Forbes, 29 Sep. 2024
  • But there’s also a childish naivety to it: there’s nothing clever about the way James conducted himself in Dominik’s film.
    IndieWire Staff, IndieWire, 14 Aug. 2024
Noun
  • On foreign policy, Yoon — who has worked closely with Washington and Tokyo to solidify security cooperation in the face of North Korean threats — expressed optimism that the three-way partnership will continue to expand under Trump’s government.
    Reuters, NBC News, 8 Nov. 2024
  • Even so, the firm expects any uncertainty will soon give way to optimism.
    Sarah Min, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near naïveté

Cite this Entry

“Naïveté.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/na%C3%AFvet%C3%A9. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!