naively

variants or naïvely
Definition of naivelynext

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of naively To believe otherwise is to divert one’s gaze, naively, hoping others will manage the problem, keeping it from your doorstep — in defiance of the medicine and simple math. Eric Snoey, Mercury News, 21 Oct. 2025 When the frame shifts up and over the reservoir’s edge, Copco 1 appears as a concrete colossus, standing sentry over the river naively burbling below. Anne Reeve, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2025 But owner Danny Meyer wants to remind you about its days as a scrappy ingénue, naïvely determined to show this gritty city a thing or two about democratic dining. Christine Muhlke, Air Mail, 20 Sep. 2025 Mills’ team works from what’s known about the physical Earth over deep time, and then lets the model naïvely produce the temperature estimates on its own. Peter Brannen, Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025 Many wealth management strategies naively assume that rate cuts automatically benefit all equities equally. Elie Nour, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025 Rising health care costs are never far from many of our minds — the millions of people soon to be kicked off Medicaid but also plenty of us who thought, naively, that the well-insured would never need to worry. Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 9 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for naively
Adverb
  • And then there’s Hanse, who sincerely assumed he was brought on to be the preserver of tradition.
    Brody Miller, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2026
  • It certainly can be deployed sincerely, yet it’s almost always accompanied by a good-natured, perhaps slightly exasperated, shake of the head.
    Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 3 Jan. 2026
Adverb
  • The reaction to her performance from commentators online ranged from bemusement to ridicule, with some observers stating that her opportunity would have come at the expense of a genuinely professional player.
    Don Riddell, CNN Money, 8 Jan. 2026
  • All are lightweight, smell great, and genuinely help rehydrate the scalp, with recommendations informed by expert input and months of testing.
    Iman Balagam, Vogue, 8 Jan. 2026
Adverb
  • Combs says another reason younger generations are so susceptible to this is because they were raised in households where money was rarely openly discussed, leaving them ill-equipped to ask direct financial questions or understand whether they’re financially aligned with their partner early on.
    Sydney Lake, Fortune, 11 Jan. 2026
  • Activists and Iranians in the country are painting a different picture, saying security forces are openly brandishing military rifles and shooting civilians.
    David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 11 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Naively.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/naively. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.

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