naiveness

Definition of naivenessnext
1
as in naïveté
readiness to believe the claims of others without sufficient evidence I can't believe the naiveness of people who don't realize there's always some catch to so-called free offers

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for naiveness
Noun
  • With no way to secure this crucial boundary, Microsoft and its peers are left to erect complicated and ad hoc guardrails designed to rein in the consequences of this incurable gullibility.
    Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 16 June 2026
  • Their bond — both are outsiders who suffered abuse as children — is one of the few emotional soft spots in the otherwise fast-moving series about America’s rotten power structure, manipulative media and the gullibility of the public.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026
Noun
  • By the middle of the nineteenth century, the seriousness and stability of their suits suggested a new naturalness for their authority that came to seem both right and inevitable.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 25 June 2026
  • As a national icon, the Natural Bridge served as a quiet, Emersonian rebuke to Europe’s militaristic triumphal arches, reinforcing the naturalness of American democracy.
    Sebastian Smee, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
Noun
  • Unlike trends that involve shoving one pastry into another, salt bread’s virality is rooted in simplicity, capturing attention with little other than butter and a bit of salt.
    Candy Hom, AJC.com, 19 July 2026
  • Platformization and simplicity drive cybersecurity buyers, and organizations with an appetite for new companies are often looking to complete their platform capabilities.
    Rohit Dhamankar, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
Noun
  • The brothers have repeatedly pleaded their innocence in the litany of charges against them.
    Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 19 July 2026
  • The jury’s guilt-innocence verdict appears to be an assessment that Royal intentionally or knowingly caused Watkins’ death, but not during a robbery.
    Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 July 2026
Noun
  • Because these stories have to dramatize a search for normalcy, its leads tend to be awkward in ways that strain credulity.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2026
  • Cape Fear strains credulity a little by making Natalie too easy a mark.
    Scott Tobias, Vulture, 19 June 2026
Noun
  • In a testament to that sincerity, Neil Young had the Stop Shopping Choir open for him on his 2024 tour.
    ABC News, ABC News, 18 July 2026
  • That same blurring of artifice and sincerity informs their debut full-length, TOY COLLAGES.
    Cassidy Sollazzo, Pitchfork, 13 July 2026
Noun
  • The simpleness of the look really allowed the Crocs to stand out and make an impression.
    Tara Larson, Footwear News, 14 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • What was once a poignant effort to extend a state of ingenuousness is now tainted from the start.
    Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Cite this Entry

“Naiveness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/naiveness. Accessed 22 Jul. 2026.

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