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
On their first two trips to the property, the enormity of the task at hand—and their utter naiveté in taking it on—sank in.
—
Ingrid Abramovitch, Architectural Digest, 22 May 2026
But that optimism now veers into naivete.
—Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 2 May 2026
Miho Sakoda’s Butterfly (Cio-Cio-San) managed a deft balance of girlish naiveté, true love and bitter betrayal with a soprano of apparently limitless expressivity.
—Scott Cantrell, Dallas Morning News, 11 Apr. 2026
Bailey has a wide-eyed clueless cuteness that lends to her character’s well-meaning naiveté — even her missteps have a way of working out.
—Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
The album thrives on the same balance of adolescent naivete and angst that animates foundational cloud rap releases like Lean’s Unknown Death 2002 and Lil B’s 6 Kiss.
—Billie Bugara, Pitchfork, 1 Apr. 2026
In an animal print and with generous straps across the instep, the result feels much more like grown-up sophistication than any naivete.
—Alex Sales, Glamour, 29 Mar. 2026
History says a roster with the Spurs’ cumulative postseason naivete has no business thinking about playing for a title.
—Mike Finger, San Antonio Express-News, 2 Mar. 2026
Costume designer Freddy Wittop gave Lee a special hat for Minnie Fay, one that symbolized the character’s endless curiosity and naiveté, with a feather in the shape of a giant question mark.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 25 Feb. 2026
Ingrid Abramovitch, Architectural Digest, 22 May 2026
But that optimism now veers into naivete.
—Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 2 May 2026
Miho Sakoda’s Butterfly (Cio-Cio-San) managed a deft balance of girlish naiveté, true love and bitter betrayal with a soprano of apparently limitless expressivity.
—Scott Cantrell, Dallas Morning News, 11 Apr. 2026
Bailey has a wide-eyed clueless cuteness that lends to her character’s well-meaning naiveté — even her missteps have a way of working out.
—Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
The album thrives on the same balance of adolescent naivete and angst that animates foundational cloud rap releases like Lean’s Unknown Death 2002 and Lil B’s 6 Kiss.
—Billie Bugara, Pitchfork, 1 Apr. 2026
In an animal print and with generous straps across the instep, the result feels much more like grown-up sophistication than any naivete.
—Alex Sales, Glamour, 29 Mar. 2026
History says a roster with the Spurs’ cumulative postseason naivete has no business thinking about playing for a title.
—Mike Finger, San Antonio Express-News, 2 Mar. 2026
Costume designer Freddy Wittop gave Lee a special hat for Minnie Fay, one that symbolized the character’s endless curiosity and naiveté, with a feather in the shape of a giant question mark.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 25 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for naïveté
Noun
-
Defense attorney Dick Harpootlian says Murdaugh maintains his innocence and will not consider a plea deal ahead of the index trial.—
Andrea Marks,
Rolling Stone,
25 May 2026
-
Shirilla has repeatedly maintained her innocence.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
23 May 2026
Noun
-
Their bond — both are outsiders who suffered abuse as children — is one of the few emotional soft spots in the otherwise fast-moving series about America’s rotten power structure, manipulative media and the gullibility of the public.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
-
These forces—economic uncertainty, political division, and toxic algorithms—work in a vicious cycle to try and tell us that empathy is weakness… that kindness is gullibility… that sincerity is for suckers.—
DeJanay Booth-Singleton,
CBS News,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The Council’s approach is built around speed, simplicity, and state control.—
Monica Sanders,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
-
Captain Nick Suzuki spoke after an 8-3 loss in Game 6 against the Buffalo Sabres in the second round about how the special atmosphere in the building forces his young team into trying to do too much, getting away from the simplicity of their game that more often leads to success in the playoffs.—
Arpon Basu,
New York Times,
25 May 2026
Noun
-
To ensure the fairness and credibility of our readers’ poll, any votes originating from the same IP address that exceed 20 submissions will be excluded from the final tally.—
Baltimore Sun staff,
Baltimore Sun,
15 May 2026
-
But in hiring the three-time Stanley Cup winner, the Ducks earned credibility in terms of coaching acumen and became an attraction for players.—
Eric Stephens,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
The most dangerous blind spot in leadership is not ignorance.—
Karl Moore,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
-
What begins as ignorance plants the seed of disaster, escalating through human conflict into a tragedy of cosmic proportions.—
Tommy McArdle,
PEOPLE,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
To stretch credulity even further beyond the breaking point, Jamie has to walk an untold distance from her house to the area around the venue in order to put her in alignment with Tom.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
24 May 2026
-
Even if viewers didn’t know what direction Russia eventually took under Putin, however, the character’s powerful but coiled demeanor quickly makes apparent that such credulity has consequences.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
20 May 2026
Noun
-
Elsewhere on that flank, Pedro Lima and Rodrigo Gomes are talented players who, even allowing for the naivety of youth that sometimes undermines their efforts, Wolves are likely to want to keep for next season in the Championship.—
Steve Madeley,
New York Times,
12 May 2026
-
The reality of their relationship wasn't lost on the singer, despite her naivety about their ability to last.—
Mekishana Pierre,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Gilbert’s colloquial style, once a source of great pleasure, has tipped into new territory—an ingenuousness that blends guru and disciple, mother and child.—
Jia Tolentino,
New Yorker,
25 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Naïveté.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/na%C3%AFvet%C3%A9. Accessed 27 May. 2026.
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