naivete

noun

na·​ive·​te nä-ˌēv-ˈtā How to pronounce naivete (audio)
-ˌē-və-;
nä-ˈēv-ˌtā,
-ˈē-və-;
nī-
variants or naïveté or less commonly naiveté
1
: a naive remark or action
The farce is noted for its ridiculous acts and naïvetés.
2
: the quality or state of being naive
His account sometimes displays a gee-whiz naivetéGregory McNamee

Examples of naivete in a Sentence

her naïveté led her to leave her new car unlocked while she shopped at the mall 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
Recent Examples on the Web Anderson plays Shelley with a consummate sweetness that sometimes registers as naivete. Esther Zuckerman, TIME, 7 Sep. 2024 That is sort of where the disappointment comes from … my naivete. Todd Gilchrist, Variety, 17 Sep. 2024 But for whatever naivete the interaction implies, Sweetpea is no ingénue. Chloe Schama, Vogue, 13 Sep. 2024 How Oz convinces others to go along with his schemes or save his skin becomes a recurring bit that would be impossible to believe if there wasn’t a real-world parallel proving just how plausible people’s heinous naivete has become. Ben Travers, IndieWire, 12 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for naivete 

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

Word History

Etymology

French naïveté, from Old French, inborn character, from naif

First Known Use

1673, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of naivete was in 1673

Dictionary Entries Near naivete

Cite this Entry

“Naivete.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/naivete. Accessed 12 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

naïvete

noun
na·​ïve·​te
variants also naivete
(ˌ)nä-ˌēv(-ə)-ˈtā,
nä-ˈēv(-ə)-tā
1
: the quality or state of being naive
2
: a naive remark or action

More from Merriam-Webster on naivete

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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