naivete
noun
na·ive·te
nä-ˌēv-ˈtā 
-ˌē-və-;
nä-ˈēv-ˌtā,
-ˈē-və-;
nī-
variants
or naïveté
or less commonly naiveté
Synonyms
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
Many great books have been written about the subject (not to mention Christopher Nolan’s colossal film); in effect, he was punished for his opposition to the H-bomb, probably his arrogance and naivete as well.
—
Kc Cole, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Mar. 2024
That an insecure platform would be used to discuss military operations in Ukraine betrays a sense of naivete by the Germans, Ledwidge said.
—Yuliya Talmazan, NBC News, 4 Mar. 2024
On the second anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine, the time for innocence or naivete in these matters is long past.
—Melik Kaylan, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2024
Whitney Houston Super Bowl XXV 1991 Days into the First Gulf War, Whitney Houston provided the nation a lasting glimpse of patriotic naivete.
—James Powel, USA TODAY, 4 Mar. 2024
Dorji’s use of first-time or inexperienced actors results in a mixed bag of performances, but not to any disruptive degree: The primary color in his mosaic is a casual, even proud naivete.
—Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2024
Here, Palmer keeps a hesitant naivete even as her character graduates further and further into moral dubiousness.
—Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 17 Aug. 2023
That's what certain Americans have done for generations in these wide-open spaces, out of malice or naivete or hope.
—Abe Streep, Scientific American, 10 Nov. 2023
Lumi felt comfortable enough to reveal that a few record labels had already approached him with offers of $10,000 for an album—an attempt, in Magana’s eyes, to exploit an undereducated teen’s naivete about how the industry really works.
—WIRED, 19 Oct. 2023
Kc Cole, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Mar. 2024
That an insecure platform would be used to discuss military operations in Ukraine betrays a sense of naivete by the Germans, Ledwidge said.
—Yuliya Talmazan, NBC News, 4 Mar. 2024
On the second anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine, the time for innocence or naivete in these matters is long past.
—Melik Kaylan, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2024
Whitney Houston Super Bowl XXV 1991 Days into the First Gulf War, Whitney Houston provided the nation a lasting glimpse of patriotic naivete.
—James Powel, USA TODAY, 4 Mar. 2024
Dorji’s use of first-time or inexperienced actors results in a mixed bag of performances, but not to any disruptive degree: The primary color in his mosaic is a casual, even proud naivete.
—Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2024
Here, Palmer keeps a hesitant naivete even as her character graduates further and further into moral dubiousness.
—Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 17 Aug. 2023
That's what certain Americans have done for generations in these wide-open spaces, out of malice or naivete or hope.
—Abe Streep, Scientific American, 10 Nov. 2023
Lumi felt comfortable enough to reveal that a few record labels had already approached him with offers of $10,000 for an album—an attempt, in Magana’s eyes, to exploit an undereducated teen’s naivete about how the industry really works.
—WIRED, 19 Oct. 2023
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.
Dictionary Entries Near naivete
Cite this Entry
“Naivete.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/naivete. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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