variants also naivete or naiveté
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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for naïveté
Noun
  • But from the beginning, Vedam, a permanent legal resident of the United States, maintained his innocence of the murder charges.
    Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 15 Oct. 2025
  • His family maintains his innocence.
    Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 14 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • And in a world where time is money, conditions are ripe for a perfect storm of greed, deceit, and willful gullibility—all in the hope of getting ahead faster than the rest.
    Luis E. Romero, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025
  • Ignoring the problem of online gullibility felt irresponsible – even negligent.
    Sam Wineburg, The Conversation, 26 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Shot over two days with striking simplicity, the film reflects Alshamsi’s gift for emotional nuance and cultural reflection.
    Essie Assibu, Variety, 17 Oct. 2025
  • This family boat ride is the kind that can be easily overlooked due to its simplicity.
    Zachary Laks, Travel + Leisure, 17 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The collective failure to scrutinize this evidence, Zumot argued, deprived a jury of the opportunity to fairly assess his credibility and the prosecution’s case against him.
    Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 16 Oct. 2025
  • When a leader calls something a transformation that is designed to be more incremental, that leader loses trust, credibility, and respect.
    Brené Brown, Fortune, 14 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Sure thing, man, operate from a position of ignorance.
    Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 14 Oct. 2025
  • Anything other than that is coming from people’s ignorance.
    Isabela Raygoza, Billboard, 13 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • To imagine Israel blindsiding Washington in this most sensitive theater strains credulity.
    Dan Perry, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
  • All of it — again, apparently done with no warning or prep time for Levy — comes off with bizarre credulity.
    Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 3 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • But this removal from war’s true horrors brought a bit of naivety to the movement.
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 15 Oct. 2025
  • Yes, there is naivety to his play at times — that is inevitable for one so young, and was evident again when he was booked for a dive just before the interval.
    Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 22 Sep. 2025
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
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.

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Naïveté.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/na%C3%AFvet%C3%A9. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!