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
This is the result of naivete: Who would want to hurt little old us?
—
Stephen Marche, The Atlantic, 1 July 2025
The secret is that Spike’s know-nothing naivete encourages us to see the world through the eyes of someone who’s new to every part of it.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 18 June 2025
Is there intimidation, naivete, fear of being alone?
—Ew Staff, EW.com, 24 Apr. 2025
On the contrary, the narrative voice mixes naivete and disbelief.
—Bartolomeo Sala, The Dial, 27 Mar. 2025
One character starts with hope and naivete, and the other with the wisdom that comes from tough, life-altering experiences.
—Nick Jonas, USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2025
Thus begins an addictive of melding personal infatuation with messy dynamics, as spirits of domination and naivete co-mingle.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 6 Mar. 2025
There’s a lot of naivete, certainly, in certain forms of popular music.
—Katherine Turman, SPIN, 3 Feb. 2025
Our heroes’ naivete is catching, apparently.
—Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 5 Jan. 2025
Stephen Marche, The Atlantic, 1 July 2025
The secret is that Spike’s know-nothing naivete encourages us to see the world through the eyes of someone who’s new to every part of it.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 18 June 2025
Is there intimidation, naivete, fear of being alone?
—Ew Staff, EW.com, 24 Apr. 2025
On the contrary, the narrative voice mixes naivete and disbelief.
—Bartolomeo Sala, The Dial, 27 Mar. 2025
One character starts with hope and naivete, and the other with the wisdom that comes from tough, life-altering experiences.
—Nick Jonas, USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2025
Thus begins an addictive of melding personal infatuation with messy dynamics, as spirits of domination and naivete co-mingle.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 6 Mar. 2025
There’s a lot of naivete, certainly, in certain forms of popular music.
—Katherine Turman, SPIN, 3 Feb. 2025
Our heroes’ naivete is catching, apparently.
—Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 5 Jan. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for naïveté
Noun
-
In response to the findings, Wallace issued a statement expressing regret while maintaining his innocence on the most serious allegations.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
14 July 2025
-
After maintaining his innocence for more than two years, on July 2, Kohberger admitted to the quadruple killings in court and pleaded guilty to all counts.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 July 2025
Noun
-
In uncertain markets, relevance, simplicity and clear value win.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
30 July 2025
-
The essence of the review is evaluation, which of course doesn’t imply the crude simplicity of a thumbs-up or thumbs-down.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
24 July 2025
Noun
-
While many celebrity beauty brands struggle to gain credibility, Rhode has resonated.—
Essence,
Essence,
28 July 2025
-
For those building a coaching business, this credibility opens doors to corporate clients.—
Elissa Kelly,
Forbes.com,
28 July 2025
Noun
-
The medieval ideal suggests superstition, ignorance, vulgarity, restlessness, cruelty and religion—all of which fill my soul with horror and loathing.—
Henry Wiencek
July 22,
Literary Hub,
22 July 2025
-
As Bryan pointed out on the show, some of their ignorance came down to cultural differences.—
Ben Rosenstock,
Vulture,
18 July 2025
Noun
-
Action movies have long strained the limits of credulity.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
3 July 2025
-
Yet worse than credulity — or perhaps just its flip side — is cynicism.—
David Nurenberg,
New York Times,
27 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
There is a visible naivety to Onley after these big results, a sense of confusion over why the attention on him is so fierce, so quickly.—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
25 July 2025
-
The novel explores the line between age and consent, naivety and vulnerability and the space between.—
Hattie Williams
July 14,
Literary Hub,
14 July 2025
Noun
-
The broad sell-off on Friday marks an abrupt reversal from Wall Street's optimism this summer.—
Rafael Nam,
NPR,
1 Aug. 2025
-
Gregg Evans Analysis: Newcastle’s optimism is ebbing but Isak exit will not be straightforward There has always been an understanding at this new version of Newcastle that selling good players was part of the business plan.—
David Ornstein,
New York Times,
1 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Naïveté.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/na%C3%AFvet%C3%A9. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.
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