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
Relevance
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
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
These character endnotes, whether they’re read as youthful naiveté or an insulting interpretation of youthful naiveté, contribute to the finale’s bitter aftertaste.
—
Ben Travers, IndieWire, 1 June 2026
Demie sees her storyline as one of naivete.
—Seija Rankin, HollywoodReporter, 31 May 2026
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
Ben Travers, IndieWire, 1 June 2026
Demie sees her storyline as one of naivete.
—Seija Rankin, HollywoodReporter, 31 May 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for naïveté
Noun
-
The presumption of innocence remains fully intact.—
Jordan Freiman,
CBS News,
16 June 2026
-
The trick of claiming such devout innocence worked quite readily for the last several years.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
Noun
-
With no way to secure this crucial boundary, Microsoft and its peers are left to erect complicated and ad hoc guardrails designed to rein in the consequences of this incurable gullibility.—
Dan Goodin,
ArsTechnica,
16 June 2026
-
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
Noun
-
There's a certain simplicity to it.—
Amber Harding OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
14 June 2026
-
Rather than convert a traditional motor yacht to electric propulsion, the team developed a unique catamaran centered on efficiency, autonomy, and simplicity.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
13 June 2026
Noun
-
The deal already raises serious questions about the credibility of the United States not only as a guarantor of freedom of navigation in the global commons, but also as a global power that can make its red lines stick.—
Ariel Cohen,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
-
But over the past year, that relationship has come under strain as Islamabad quietly clawed its way back to credibility.—
Kyra Colah,
FOXNews.com,
18 June 2026
Noun
-
Others’ unhinged ignorance can be fun.—
Eugenie Brinkema,
ARTnews.com,
14 June 2026
-
Final negotiations on ‘Peace’ are proceeding, subject to ignorance or stupidity getting in its way.—
Ananya Chetia,
CNBC,
8 June 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
-
Willmett and Harris are clearly uninterested in euphemisms, so there’s an exaggerated naivety to their lyrics.—
Alex Robert Ross,
Pitchfork,
8 June 2026
-
Twenty years ago, betting on New York as a serious technology hub felt contrarian to the point of naivety.—
Patrick Chun,
Fortune,
26 May 2026
Noun
-
What was once a poignant effort to extend a state of ingenuousness is now tainted from the start.—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Naïveté.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/na%C3%AFvet%C3%A9. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
