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
  • Apple's Bob Borchers emphasized the plan's simplicity and flexibility for customers.
    David Phelan, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
  • But Morton chafes against such stark and incriminating simplicity.
    Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 27 July 2026
Noun
  • Courts have upheld both inmates’ sentences Duckett and Occhicone were both convicted by juries, and appellate courts have denied multiple attempts to overturn their death sentences – although Duckett has maintained his innocence.
    Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 26 July 2026
  • The 1997 Tour was the end of the sport’s long age of innocence.
    Duncan Alexander, New York Times, 24 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
  • But perhaps the performance that lingers most in our minds is that of Elliot Page, 39, who in just a few short scenes anchors the film with his guileless sincerity and righteous anger.
    Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 19 July 2026
  • 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
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 29 Jul. 2026.

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