variants or naïve
1
2
3

Synonym Chooser

How is the word naive different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of naive are artless, ingenuous, natural, and unsophisticated. While all these words mean "free from pretension or calculation," naive suggests lack of worldly wisdom often connoting credulousness and unchecked innocence.

politically naive

When can artless be used instead of naive?

The meanings of artless and naive largely overlap; however, artless suggests a naturalness resulting from unawareness of the effect one is producing on others.

artless charm

When is it sensible to use ingenuous instead of naive?

Although the words ingenuous and naive have much in common, ingenuous implies inability to disguise or conceal one's feelings or intentions.

the ingenuous enthusiasm of children

When would natural be a good substitute for naive?

The synonyms natural and naive are sometimes interchangeable, but natural implies lacking artificiality and self-consciousness and having a spontaneousness suggesting the natural rather than the man-made world.

her unaffected, natural manner

In what contexts can unsophisticated take the place of naive?

While in some cases nearly identical to naive, unsophisticated implies a lack of experience and training necessary for social ease and adroitness.

unsophisticated adolescents

Example 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 naive The older women’s responses keep evolving, but Johanne’s mom does understandably worry that the teacher has abused her daughter (who’s a realistic, adolescent blend of perceptive and naive). Nicolas Rapold, Deadline, 22 Feb. 2025 Danso, like other young defenders, could be naive in certain situations and was guilty of making erratic decisions. Jay Harris, The Athletic, 5 Feb. 2025 But in the transactional world of Trump, Musk, and DOGE, the concept of career civil servants taking lower-paying, apolitical work to serve an intangible greater good is naive at best. Adam Chandler, TIME, 20 Feb. 2025 The idea sounds simple, even naive: Fix the money, fix the world. Bryan Benson, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for naive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for naive
Adjective
  • In a race against time, Melissa must figure out if an innocent man is going to die for a crime her father really committed.
    Abigail Lee, Variety, 5 Mar. 2025
  • Dangerously selfish, vain and proud, Wilde’s Salome is anything but innocent.
    E.R. Zarevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • But their filing this week suggests that response wasn't genuine.
    Ashley Belanger, Ars Technica, 7 Mar. 2025
  • Donors, for their part, gain peace of mind knowing their contributions are making a genuine, measurable difference—solidifying an enduring partnership in the quest for positive social change.
    Victoria Philips, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Apart from big technology firms (which are easier to decarbonize), large industrial companies that have engaged in the climate conversation have set mid-century targets.
    Justin Worland, TIME, 25 Feb. 2025
  • The Pioneer Woman’s Three-Piece Mixing Bowls are durable, versatile, and easy to store.
    Shea Simmons, Southern Living, 25 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • Without fair elections, an honest media environment and a credible opposition, voters can’t correct their country’s course at the ballot box, providing competitive authoritarian regimes little incentive to do anything but enrich themselves.
    Elizabeth Shackelford, Chicago Tribune, 7 Mar. 2025
  • But to be honest the significant immune support is more than enough to keep me taking it.
    Kiana Murden, Vogue, 7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • This fund is the simplest way to play the inevitable rise in lithium prices.
    Brett Owens, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2025
  • Prioritizing fitness amid a busy travel schedule, the former Radio City Rockette and The Talk host says her outlook is simple.
    Meredith Lepore, Travel + Leisure, 1 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • That’s true, however, what this risk assessment request by the governor does do is put the whole matter in Newsom’s hands, despite the resentencing hearing set for later in March.
    Dominic Patten, Deadline, 4 Mar. 2025
  • These actions have been saving lives and driving true culture change, creating a safer future for everyone.
    Jem Aswad, Variety, 4 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • So be careful out there folks and don’t be gullible.
    Kirsty Hatcher, People.com, 3 Mar. 2025
  • Until, of course, someone convinces a gullible public—or a U.S. senator—that all research currency, new and old, is created equal.
    Adam Marcus, The Atlantic, 13 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • Today’s political speeches and television dramas don’t denigrate Ottoman leaders as unsophisticated conquerors but adulate them as pioneers of a new civilizational order—fair in governance and more compassionate toward their subjects than their Western contemporaries.
    Asli Aydintasbas, Foreign Affairs, 19 May 2021
  • Commutations for unsophisticated folk who had been over-sentenced would have been defensible, but impunity for practitioners of political violence is what doomed the Weimar Republic.
    George Liebmann, Baltimore Sun, 23 Feb. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Naive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/naive. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on naive

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!