variants
also naivete
or naiveté
1
as in innocence
the quality or state of being simple and sincere
her naïveté led her to leave her new car unlocked while she shopped at the mall
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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Recent Examples of naïveté
Tutty is an absolute star in the role, displaying boisterous enthusiasm as well as a tender naivete that hints at the inevitable act two disappointment to come.
—
Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Nov. 2025
There is power in unspoken knowledge, Schilinski suggests, and the performance of innocence and naiveté, for a young girl, can be an instrument of subversion.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 20 Nov. 2025
But the healing of our nations must begin in Gaza, Ramallah, and Jerusalem—with Palestinians and Israelis deciding that coexistence is not naivete but necessity.
—Samer Sinijlawi, The Atlantic, 13 Nov. 2025
The film’s stylized, childlike drawings not only reflect Giuseppe’s highly mutable nature, but also his innocence and naiveté as well.
—Kambole Campbell, IndieWire, 7 Nov. 2025
There was a lot of naivete with the first album.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2025
In today’s digital world, jobs that require teens to disconnect from screens and interact face-to-face mean more time engaged in the real world around less time extricated in virtual naivete.
—Rachel Greszler, Boston Herald, 31 Aug. 2025
Meanwhile, there’s an endearing naiveté to Hechinger’s performance.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 31 Aug. 2025
The acrimony between the two camps is seen on social media and in everyday conversations, where calls for showing compassion to the Gazans are met with accusations of naivete, hypocrisy and shirking responsibilities to fellow Jews.
—Andrew Silow-Carroll, Sun Sentinel, 19 Aug. 2025
Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Nov. 2025
There is power in unspoken knowledge, Schilinski suggests, and the performance of innocence and naiveté, for a young girl, can be an instrument of subversion.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 20 Nov. 2025
But the healing of our nations must begin in Gaza, Ramallah, and Jerusalem—with Palestinians and Israelis deciding that coexistence is not naivete but necessity.
—Samer Sinijlawi, The Atlantic, 13 Nov. 2025
The film’s stylized, childlike drawings not only reflect Giuseppe’s highly mutable nature, but also his innocence and naiveté as well.
—Kambole Campbell, IndieWire, 7 Nov. 2025
There was a lot of naivete with the first album.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2025
In today’s digital world, jobs that require teens to disconnect from screens and interact face-to-face mean more time engaged in the real world around less time extricated in virtual naivete.
—Rachel Greszler, Boston Herald, 31 Aug. 2025
Meanwhile, there’s an endearing naiveté to Hechinger’s performance.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 31 Aug. 2025
The acrimony between the two camps is seen on social media and in everyday conversations, where calls for showing compassion to the Gazans are met with accusations of naivete, hypocrisy and shirking responsibilities to fellow Jews.
—Andrew Silow-Carroll, Sun Sentinel, 19 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for naïveté
Noun
-
But none of Wardlaw's newfound claims of innocence matter.—
Robert Steinbuch,
Arkansas Online,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Gary Washington spent more than 30 years in prison and always maintained his innocence.—
Mike Hellgren,
CBS News,
7 Jan. 2026
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 simplicity makes the robot lighter, cheaper, and easier to operate.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Nov. 2025
-
For those seeking simplicity, options such as eco-friendly guesthouses, cozy budget inns, or camping at Cinnamon Bay offer affordable ways to stay close to nature.—
Essence,
Essence,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Had one of his schools swiped a Big Ten athlete under contract (with tampering as the mechanism), Sankey’s credibility on the issue would have been severely undercut and his relationship with Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti might have been damaged.—
Jon Wilner,
Mercury News,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Diplomacy is preferable, but diplomacy without credibility is meaningless.—
Jason D. Greenblatt,
semafor.com,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Here in the United States, the writer and filmmaker Mike Judge has garnered praise over the course of his career for getting laughs out of broken systems and absurd ignorance in American culture.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Jan. 2026
-
In these special kinds of systems, even a minuscule amount of uncertainty in the measurement of the initial state of a system very quickly compounds into complete ignorance about its future behavior.—
Paul Sutter,
Space.com,
29 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Molière’s play indicts Orgon’s credulity and Tartuffe’s deceit equally.—
Henry Alford,
New Yorker,
1 Dec. 2025
-
Except for the fact that, straining credulity, Epstein is real.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
17 Nov. 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
Cite this Entry
“Naïveté.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/na%C3%AFvet%C3%A9. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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