NAIVETE Synonyms: 78 Similar and Opposite Words

naïveté

noun

nä-ˌēv-ˈtā

variants also naivete or naiveté

Definition of naïveté

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

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 Ignorance is off the table and so is naivete, which leaves only motive — and so motive is what gets attacked. — Sachin H. Jain, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026 Editor-in-chief Ned Sampson (Domhnall Gleeson) is a mix of blustery Michael Scott naivete and Jim Halpert everyman likability in his attempts to resurrect the struggling Toledo Truth Teller. — Sara Netzley, Entertainment Weekly, 2 July 2026 Emma D’Arcy imbues Rhaenyra’s every line with a breathless giddiness that conveys the character’s reckless naivete. — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 22 June 2026 These character endnotes, whether they’re read as youthful naiveté or an insulting interpretation of youthful naiveté, contribute to the finale’s bitter aftertaste. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 1 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for naïveté

Recent Examples of Synonyms for naïveté

Noun

Since then, Andrew has been keeping a low profile and maintains his innocence.

— Allison DeGrushe, StyleCaster, 4 Oct. 2026
As a mother and someone who has fought to protect the innocence of children, this crosses a line.

— Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of innocence

Noun

Members must accommodate themselves to its fictions, with varying mixtures of gullibility and cynicism; followers shown proof that the leader has lied may admire him all the more for his tactical cleverness.

— David Denby, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
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

Definition of gullibility

Noun

The vote is being closely watched by investors across the globe, with questions swirling around whether the incoming administration can deliver fiscal credibility.

— Chloe Taylor,Thomas Da Graca Barlow, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2026
What voters will decide instead is how Brazil manages its credibility deficit and whether the country can start the long process of closing it.

— MATIAS SPEKTOR, Foreign Affairs, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of credibility

Noun

Trump’s claim that the supply of Venezuelan oil will bring gas prices down is a macedoine of aspiration and ignorance.

— Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026
Despite the claims of any number of charlatans who prey on the American brand of cuddly benighted ignorance, the universe will not manifest an alternate reality for anyone who simply wishes for it with sufficient longing.

— Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of ignorance

Noun

The earlier series has increasingly strained credulity by having its romance plots hinge on inequalities of gender and class, but seldom of race.

— Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 10 Sep. 2026
The idea that these two would have a five-minute-or-less breakup conversation, then plop down on the couch and happily embark on an acid trip together, strains credulity a little, even for this bizarre, codependent friend group.

— Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of credulity

Noun

Now Carrie enters public school for the very first time, and with the reemergence of formidable telekinetic abilities, her blissful naivety of girlhood and her wide-open heart make her easy prey for physical and online bullies.

— Entertainment Weekly, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Sep. 2026
Nearly a decade after Hutchins’s death, Cole revisits nine formative years marked by naivety, discovery, confusion, and evolution.

— Tina Eves, SPIN, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of naivety

Browse Nearby Words

naiveness

naïveté

naivety

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Style

“Naïveté.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/na%C3%AFvet%C3%A9. Accessed 8 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of naïveté

noun

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