naïveté

1 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 artlessness, greenness, guilelessness, ingenuousness, innocence, naiveness, naivety (also naïvety) [chiefly British], naturalness, simplemindedness, simpleness, simplicity, unsophistication, unworldliness, viridity Related Words candor, frankness, genuineness, honesty, openness, sincerity, straightforwardness, unaffectedness, unpretentiousness; callowness, childishness, coltishness, inexperience, rawness; insularity, parochialism, provincialism; carelessness, heedlessness, thoughtlessness; ignorance, obliviousness, unawareness; credulity, credulousness, gullibility, impressionability; idealism, impracticality, optimism Near Antonyms affectedness, artificiality, pretentiousness; deviousness, dishonesty, insincerity; disbelief, doubtfulness, incredulity, suspiciousness; carefulness, caution, street smarts, wariness; pessimism, skepticism; maturity Antonyms artfulness, cynicism, knowingness, sophistication, worldliness

2 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 credulousness, gullibility, naiveness, credulity (also naivete or naiveté), simplenessRelated Words artlessness, simplicity, unsophistication, unwariness, unworldliness; belief, credibility, faith, trustNear Antonyms sophistication, worldliness; distrust, misdoubt, mistrust, suspicion, suspiciousness, wariness; doubt, uncertaintyAntonyms incredulity, skepticism