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
But that optimism now veers into naivete.
—
Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 2 May 2026
Miho Sakoda’s Butterfly (Cio-Cio-San) managed a deft balance of girlish naiveté, true love and bitter betrayal with a soprano of apparently limitless expressivity.
—Scott Cantrell, Dallas Morning News, 11 Apr. 2026
Bailey has a wide-eyed clueless cuteness that lends to her character’s well-meaning naiveté — even her missteps have a way of working out.
—Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
The album thrives on the same balance of adolescent naivete and angst that animates foundational cloud rap releases like Lean’s Unknown Death 2002 and Lil B’s 6 Kiss.
—Billie Bugara, Pitchfork, 1 Apr. 2026
In an animal print and with generous straps across the instep, the result feels much more like grown-up sophistication than any naivete.
—Alex Sales, Glamour, 29 Mar. 2026
History says a roster with the Spurs’ cumulative postseason naivete has no business thinking about playing for a title.
—Mike Finger, San Antonio Express-News, 2 Mar. 2026
Costume designer Freddy Wittop gave Lee a special hat for Minnie Fay, one that symbolized the character’s endless curiosity and naiveté, with a feather in the shape of a giant question mark.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 25 Feb. 2026
Students brought the enthusiasm, but their naivete showed in planning and preparation.
—Cate Charron, IndyStar, 5 Feb. 2026
Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 2 May 2026
Miho Sakoda’s Butterfly (Cio-Cio-San) managed a deft balance of girlish naiveté, true love and bitter betrayal with a soprano of apparently limitless expressivity.
—Scott Cantrell, Dallas Morning News, 11 Apr. 2026
Bailey has a wide-eyed clueless cuteness that lends to her character’s well-meaning naiveté — even her missteps have a way of working out.
—Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
The album thrives on the same balance of adolescent naivete and angst that animates foundational cloud rap releases like Lean’s Unknown Death 2002 and Lil B’s 6 Kiss.
—Billie Bugara, Pitchfork, 1 Apr. 2026
In an animal print and with generous straps across the instep, the result feels much more like grown-up sophistication than any naivete.
—Alex Sales, Glamour, 29 Mar. 2026
History says a roster with the Spurs’ cumulative postseason naivete has no business thinking about playing for a title.
—Mike Finger, San Antonio Express-News, 2 Mar. 2026
Costume designer Freddy Wittop gave Lee a special hat for Minnie Fay, one that symbolized the character’s endless curiosity and naiveté, with a feather in the shape of a giant question mark.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 25 Feb. 2026
Students brought the enthusiasm, but their naivete showed in planning and preparation.
—Cate Charron, IndyStar, 5 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for naïveté
Noun
-
My greatest wish is that this ruling sets a precedent for the Treasury and serves the thousands of ordinary citizens who are abused and crushed every day by a system that presumes their guilt and forces them to prove their innocence at the cost of economic and emotional ruin.—
Jem Aswad,
Variety,
18 May 2026
-
Gilbert, who turned the comments off of her Instagram post, has stayed by Busfield's side throughout the case, pleading for her husband's innocence.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
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
-
These forces—economic uncertainty, political division, and toxic algorithms—work in a vicious cycle to try and tell us that empathy is weakness… that kindness is gullibility… that sincerity is for suckers.—
DeJanay Booth-Singleton,
CBS News,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The challenge is staying true to its simplicity while expanding.—
Ellen Sheng,
CNBC,
19 May 2026
-
His advice for men starting from scratch is a model of French simplicity.—
Pooja Mistry,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
To ensure the fairness and credibility of our readers’ poll, any votes originating from the same IP address that exceed 20 submissions will be excluded from the final tally.—
Baltimore Sun staff,
Baltimore Sun,
15 May 2026
-
But in hiring the three-time Stanley Cup winner, the Ducks earned credibility in terms of coaching acumen and became an attraction for players.—
Eric Stephens,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
Even Republicans, who usually feigned ignorance about the President’s social-media outbursts, were weighing in.—
Jason Zengerle,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
-
Chinese officials were unsure what to make of Pete Hegseth’s presence — whether it was meant to convey a softer stance, a hardening one, or simply an ignorance of basic diplomatic protocol.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
17 May 2026
Noun
-
The hope of one day inheriting Cal’s construction empire was part of what motivated Nate to act so … violently in high school, but without the context of how that takeover happened, his success strains credulity.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
13 Apr. 2026
-
But the idea that athletic departments and their associated fundraising arms should be classified as tax-exempt nonprofits promoting education and amateur sports strains credulity.—
Andrew Urbaczewski,
The Conversation,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Elsewhere on that flank, Pedro Lima and Rodrigo Gomes are talented players who, even allowing for the naivety of youth that sometimes undermines their efforts, Wolves are likely to want to keep for next season in the Championship.—
Steve Madeley,
New York Times,
12 May 2026
-
The reality of their relationship wasn't lost on the singer, despite her naivety about their ability to last.—
Mekishana Pierre,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Mar. 2026
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 21 May. 2026.
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