naivety

noun

nä-ˈē-və-tē How to pronounce naivety (audio)
variants also naïvety
Definition of naivetynext
chiefly British
as in innocence
the quality or state of being simple and sincere the contention that the royal family took advantage of the young Diana's naivety

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 naivety 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 But Iraq’s inability to keep the margin of defeat narrow when that very well could be the tiebreaker for one of the top eight third-place spots showed a bit of naivety that could prove very damaging. — Ian Nicholas Quillen, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026 Willmett and Harris are clearly uninterested in euphemisms, so there’s an exaggerated naivety to their lyrics. — Alex Robert Ross, Pitchfork, 8 June 2026 Twenty years ago, betting on New York as a serious technology hub felt contrarian to the point of naivety. — Patrick Chun, Fortune, 26 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for naivety
Recent Examples of Synonyms for naivety
  1. innocence
  2. naturalness
  3. simplicity
  4. sincerity
  5. ignorance
Noun
  • Under the plea, Johnson maintained his innocence but conceded there was enough evidence to convict him.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Blending black plum, Turkish rose, and tonka, Lovers Lane is inspired by Mulholland Drive, the innocence of young love, and the innocent thrill of experiencing true love for the first time.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of innocence
Noun
  • Beauty, grace, freshness, naturalness, youth—all qualities which women have so often been reduced to.
    — Laird Borrelli-Persson, Vogue, 25 Sep. 2026
  • The young actors are appealing, led by Lilah Pate and Chabley Ponce; there’s a sweetness and naturalness to their cameraderie that stands out amid so much mugging and gives the film a lift.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of naturalness
Noun
  • Such a complicated form belies the simplicity of much of the language in it.
    — Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2026
  • This season’s star was the Asa Tote, a large flat architectural shape with asymmetric shoulder straps that shined in its simplicity thanks to the contrasting textures, like in the charming canvas and leather version.
    — Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of simplicity
Noun
  • Credibility question Corbett’s own sincerity, however, has been called into question in a defamation lawsuit regarding claims made against a client’s opponent in Burr Ridge’s 2019 mayoral race.
    — Dan Petrella, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Their sincerity and humor come from the cast’s commitment to the mundane, said Ron Oliver, writer and director of many Hallmark films.
    — Anthony Solorzano, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of sincerity
Noun
  • Macca shot back as Poehler feigned ignorance and let out a laugh.
    — Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 13 Oct. 2026
  • This kind of ignorance also protected us, to a certain extent.
    — Baptiste Mandrillon, Time, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of ignorance

Browse Nearby Words

naïveté
naivety
naked
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Naivety.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/naivety. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of deportment

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All