as in naturalness
the quality or state of being simple and sincere
the small-town boy's guilelessness is endearing, but it may not serve him well in the ruthless big city
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Recent Examples of guilelessness
On a humid evening in May, Patricia Lockwood, who writes with the impish verve and provocative guilelessness of a peeing cupid, was scanning the menu at a Mexican restaurant near her home, in Savannah, Georgia.
—
Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025
Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for guilelessness
Noun
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The naturalness bias is deeply ingrained in Kennedy’s MAHA campaign, which aims to improve public health by returning to a more natural lifestyle.—
Yasmin Tayag,
The Atlantic,
11 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Cross found prosecutors withheld evidence from Jones' lawyers during the first trial that could have resulted in jurors reaching a different conclusion about his guilt or innocence.—
Dan Horn,
The Enquirer,
3 Sep. 2025
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Mills also denied there was a physical altercation and has maintained his innocence in the matter.—
Nick Mordowanec,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Was one of Forest’s virtues last season their relative simplicity, which will now be disrupted?—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
5 Sep. 2025
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For now, the company is betting that simplicity will appeal to customers.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Chiara and Carolina arrived with such sincerity, depth, and passion for storytelling.—
Felicity Carter,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
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Pressman [has] deep knowledge and sincerity.—
Julia Hass,
Literary Hub,
2 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Gilbert’s colloquial style, once a source of great pleasure, has tipped into new territory—an ingenuousness that blends guru and disciple, mother and child.—
Jia Tolentino,
New Yorker,
25 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Guilelessness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/guilelessness. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.
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