variants also naivete or naiveté
Definition of naïveténext
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

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 naïveté Demie sees her storyline as one of naivete. Seija Rankin, HollywoodReporter, 31 May 2026 God protect me from my own lack of understanding and naivete. Dan Adler, Vanity Fair, 27 May 2026 On their first two trips to the property, the enormity of the task at hand—and their utter naiveté in taking it on—sank in. Ingrid Abramovitch, Architectural Digest, 22 May 2026 But that optimism now veers into naivete. Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 2 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for naïveté
Recent Examples of Synonyms for naïveté
Noun
  • During a more than three-hour testimony, Stanko maintained his innocence.
    Patrick Damp, CBS News, 31 July 2026
  • The Fifth Amendment is critical in preserving that presumption of innocence.
    Chantelle Lee, Time, 30 July 2026
Noun
  • Mason highlights – with levity and humor – how erroneous ideas, gullibility, and blinders can lead even people who should know better down rabbit holes.
    Monitor reviewers, Christian Science Monitor, 23 July 2026
  • 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
Noun
  • Delicate Japanese simplicity prevails while leaving whispers of the original French palatial style—such as distinctive moldings that are unique to the building.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Aug. 2026
  • In general, higher-performing LED systems dominate the top of the ratings, while older halogen designs tend to cluster at the bottom, constrained by lower output and less precise beam control, despite offering advantages in simplicity and cost.
    Matthew MacConnell, ArsTechnica, 3 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Instead of diluting its elite credibility to reach a broader audience, the brand translated that credibility into environments where the average person could understand its every day relevance.
    Lilian Raji, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
  • The eyewitness account was so descriptive that researchers gave it their highest level of credibility.
    CBS New York Team, CBS News, 31 July 2026
Noun
  • The pro-Trump media’s attitude, though, borders on willful ignorance.
    Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Schiebinger uses agnotology, a methodological approach that examines how ignorance is produced and maintained, to analyze the making of this scientific ignorance.
    Kari Traylor, JSTOR Daily, 29 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
  • In 2009, five members of Young The Giant named their band in honor of their own youth, naivety and potential overconfidence.
    Sophie Lindberg, Kansas City Star, 31 July 2026
  • Spain played their own part, outstanding on the day, but for France, injuries, yellow cards, under-performance and tactical naivety conspired to produce one of the most underwhelming performances in recent World Cup memory by a tournament favourite.
    Adam Crafton, New York Times, 16 July 2026
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

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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 8 Aug. 2026.

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