variants also naivete or naiveté
1
2
as in gullibility
readiness to believe the claims of others without sufficient evidence 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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for naïveté
Noun
  • Skakel has maintained his innocence from the beginning.
    KC Baker, PEOPLE, 4 Nov. 2025
  • Illinois children should not be robbed of their innocence.
    Adam Crafton, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • And in a world where time is money, conditions are ripe for a perfect storm of greed, deceit, and willful gullibility—all in the hope of getting ahead faster than the rest.
    Luis E. Romero, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025
  • Ignoring the problem of online gullibility felt irresponsible – even negligent.
    Sam Wineburg, The Conversation, 26 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • The absurdity of the image—and the simplicity of the complaint—also sparked a flood of lighthearted responses.
    Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
  • McMillan chose to focus on pets, building his method around simplicity.
    Jane Stern, HollywoodReporter, 30 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • That ensures long-term political credibility and shields against budgetary raids.
    Josh Green, Time, 30 Oct. 2025
  • In his remarks, Moss cast doubt on the credibility of that defense, repeatedly questioning the quick-twitch decision to demand that NPR no longer run the distribution system after such a longstanding arrangement.
    NPR, NPR, 30 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • During which Helm suffered loneliness, inconsequence and ignorance – an original and terrible fugue state.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Nov. 2025
  • While potentially shakier data may cause volatility in markets later this week, for now ignorance appears to be bliss.
    Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 3 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • To imagine Israel blindsiding Washington in this most sensitive theater strains credulity.
    Dan Perry, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
  • All of it — again, apparently done with no warning or prep time for Levy — comes off with bizarre credulity.
    Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 3 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • There's a naivety and sweetness to them that's ripped away in an instant when the two passionately make love in the barren house, the inciting incident for the demise of their relationship.
    Billie Melissa, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
  • But this removal from war’s true horrors brought a bit of naivety to the movement.
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 15 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • 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
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

“Naïveté.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/na%C3%AFvet%C3%A9. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.

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