unsophisticated

adjective

un·​so·​phis·​ti·​cat·​ed ˌən-sə-ˈfi-stə-ˌkā-təd How to pronounce unsophisticated (audio)
: not sophisticated: such as
a
: not changed or corrupted : genuine
b(1)
: not worldly-wise : lacking social or economic sophistication
(2)
: lacking complexity of structure : simple, straightforward
an unsophisticated analysis
unsophisticated rhythms
Choose the Right Synonym for unsophisticated

natural, ingenuous, naive, unsophisticated, artless mean free from pretension or calculation.

natural implies lacking artificiality and self-consciousness and having a spontaneousness suggesting the natural rather than the man-made world.

her unaffected, natural manner

ingenuous implies inability to disguise or conceal one's feelings or intentions.

the ingenuous enthusiasm of children

naive suggests lack of worldly wisdom often connoting credulousness and unchecked innocence.

politically naive

unsophisticated implies a lack of experience and training necessary for social ease and adroitness.

unsophisticated adolescents

artless suggests a naturalness resulting from unawareness of the effect one is producing on others.

artless charm

Examples of unsophisticated in a Sentence

She was innocent and unsophisticated when she left for college. unsophisticated teens and young adults hoping to expand their world view by spending a year abroad
Recent Examples on the Web There seemed something damningly Irish about them, which is to say parochial and unsophisticated. Megan Nolan, Vogue, 31 Jan. 2024 And the depiction of women in this opera — powerless, unsophisticated and easily duped — is out of step with today’s times. Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Jan. 2024 There isn’t much steering feedback, and the suspension—trailing arms at the front and swing axles at the rear, borrowed from the Beetle—feels unsophisticated. Tim Pitt, Robb Report, 2 Feb. 2024 The attack, which happened in early December and was claimed by the Ukrainian military’s 110th Mechanized Brigade, is one of a small but growing number of incidents where unsophisticated robots have been used against other robots in Russia’s war in Ukraine. Matt Burgess, WIRED, 30 Jan. 2024 In court Monday, Milton portrayed himself as a generous and honest yet unsophisticated businessman who grew up milking cows, lacked a college degree and did not mean to defraud investors in his electric truck company. Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 18 Dec. 2023 The unsophisticated measure tallies the number of launches and recoveries that occur between system failures, and then averages them. Craig Hooper, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2023 An unsophisticated rigid-axle rear suspension and soft damping result in the best boulevard ride but the most flaccid handling. Frank Markus, Car and Driver, 31 Aug. 2023 For years, those fears had largely been speculative because the technology to produce such fakes was too complicated, expensive and unsophisticated. Lucía Cholakian Herrera, New York Times, 15 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unsophisticated.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1630, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unsophisticated was in 1630

Dictionary Entries Near unsophisticated

Cite this Entry

“Unsophisticated.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unsophisticated. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

unsophisticated

adjective
un·​so·​phis·​ti·​cat·​ed ˌən(t)-sə-ˈfis-tə-ˌkāt-əd How to pronounce unsophisticated (audio)
1
: not sophisticated
was still innocent and unsophisticated
2
: not complex : plain, simple
unsophisticated designs
unsophistication
-ˌfis-tə-ˈkā-shən
noun

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