faux-naïf

adjective

faux-na·​ïf ˌfō-nä-ˈēf How to pronounce faux-naïf (audio)
variants or faux-naif
: spuriously or affectedly childlike : artfully simple
faux-naïf prose

Word History

Etymology

French, literally, falsely naive

First Known Use

1941, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of faux-naïf was in 1941

Dictionary Entries Near faux-naïf

faux jour

faux-naïf

faux pas

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Faux-naïf.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/faux-na%C3%AFf. Accessed 21 Mar. 2023.

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!

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of fawn

See Definitions and Examples »

Test Your Vocabulary

Challenging Standardized Test Words

  • high school student holding a pencil leaning over a sat test
  • Despite the cacophony, the student tried to study.
Name That Thing

You know what it looks like… but what is it called?

TAKE THE QUIZ
Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can with using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.

Can you make 12 words with 7 letters?

PLAY
Words at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games