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
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
The fund’s appreciation of over 600% YTD raises concerns about flawed perceptions of SpaceX ownership and naivete regarding the premium to NAV.
—Joel Shulman, Forbes, 25 Dec. 2024
Merkel also displays naivete over global warming.
—Bruce Fein, Baltimore Sun, 12 Dec. 2024
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
The fund’s appreciation of over 600% YTD raises concerns about flawed perceptions of SpaceX ownership and naivete regarding the premium to NAV.
—Joel Shulman, Forbes, 25 Dec. 2024
Merkel also displays naivete over global warming.
—Bruce Fein, Baltimore Sun, 12 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for naïveté
Noun
-
Sara successfully rescues her son Josh after proving her innocence at the end of Exterritorial.—
Caroline Blair,
People.com,
3 May 2025
-
Despite serving only five days of a five-month sentence, Smollett has maintained his innocence.—
Amber Corrine,
VIBE.com,
2 May 2025
Noun
-
The simplicity of pressure washing leads many to dismiss it as a side hustle rather than a scalable business.—
Jack Kelly,
Forbes.com,
3 May 2025
-
For minimalist interior designers, there’s beauty in simplicity and restraint.—
Elizabeth Stamp,
Architectural Digest,
29 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Congress will soon have an opportunity to ensure that American power -- and the credibility of our commitments -- are appropriately resourced.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
3 May 2025
-
These collaborations help establish trust and credibility while ensuring that the platform remains a true reflection of local perspectives.—
Connie Etemadi,
USA Today,
3 May 2025
Noun
-
Trump’s disdain for classic neoliberal U.S. soft power — and for the values and institutions that uphold it — is likely to hurt American interests in just the same way his tariff regime and utter ignorance of real-world trade theory do.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
7 May 2025
-
The pathos here thus depends largely on the reader’s total ignorance of Vietnamese.—
Andrea Long Chu,
Vulture,
6 May 2025
Noun
-
The plot beats that follow Dante’s death strain credulity past its breaking point, and the fun quickly wears thin.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
2 May 2025
-
That the leader of a notoriously cruel occupying power would have shown such compassion for a militant rebel strains credulity and defies the historical record.—
Judith Shulevitz,
The Atlantic,
1 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The Danish government dismissed Trump’s idea and critics mocked his supposed naivety.—
Ryan P. Burke,
Orlando Sentinel,
14 Feb. 2025
-
My naivety was expunged in my first few weeks on the job post-graduation.—
Abubakar Adam Ibrahim,
The Dial,
4 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Despite current challenges in the Hong Kong industry, Tsui expresses cautious optimism about overcoming present difficulties, particularly regarding market constraints and regional audience discrepancies.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
8 May 2025
-
Cease and manager Mike Shildt said the team’s athletic training staff expressed optimism about Cease’s prognosis.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Naïveté.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/na%C3%AFvet%C3%A9. Accessed 15 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share