Main Entry: na·ive

Variant(s): or na·ïve \nä-ˈēv, nī-\

Function: adjective

Inflected Form(s): na·iv·er; na·iv·est

Etymology: French naïve, feminine of naïf, from Old French, inborn, natural, from Latin nativus native

Date: 1654

1 : marked by unaffected simplicity : artless, ingenuous
2 a : deficient in worldly wisdom or informed judgment; especially : credulous b : not previously subjected to experimentation or a particular experimental situation <made the test with naive rats>; also : not having previously used a particular drug (as marijuana) c : not having been exposed previously to an antigen <naive T cells>
3 a : self-taught, primitive b : produced by or as if by a self-taught artist <naive murals>

synonyms see natural

— na·ive·ly or na·ïve·ly adverb

— na·ive·ness noun