naïf

1 of 2

noun

na·​ïf nä-ˈēf How to pronounce naïf (audio)
variants or naif
Synonyms of naïfnext
: a naive person

naïf

2 of 2

adjective

variants or naif
: naive

Synonyms

Adjective

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of naïf in a Sentence

Adjective the senator, newly elected and still naïf, will learn soon enough how Washington really works

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

French

First Known Use

Noun

1891, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

circa 1598, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of naïf was circa 1598

Phrases Containing naïf

Browse Nearby Words

Naidu
naïf
naig
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Naïf.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/na%C3%AFf. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

'Canceled' or 'cancelled'?

'Gray' vs. 'Grey': What is the difference?

A Guide to Using Semicolons
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Our Best Historical Slang Terms

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Birds Say the Darndest Things

Plant Names That Sound Like Insults

Color Words to Describe Autumn Leaves
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Our Best Historical Slang Terms

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
speech-bubble-untangle
Simplify The Convoluted Expression Quiz A quiz that’s as “uncomplicated as a round de...
See All