variants also naïvety
Definition of naivetynext
chiefly British

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 However, Mats Alvesson and Katja Einola critique bright-side leadership in their 2019 Leadership Quarterly article, suggesting that bright-side leadership can drift into naivety or excessive positivity. Mary Crossan, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026 There's a naivety and sweetness to them that's ripped away in an instant when the two passionately make love in the barren house, the inciting incident for the demise of their relationship. Billie Melissa, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025 But this removal from war’s true horrors brought a bit of naivety to the movement. JSTOR Daily, 15 Oct. 2025 There’s less of a child-like sense of innocence and naivety. Abbey White, HollywoodReporter, 17 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for naivety
Recent Examples of Synonyms for naivety
Noun
  • Believing in her innocence, Shade and Angie dive headfirst back into the high-stakes world of investigation.
    Peter White, Deadline, 27 Apr. 2026
  • Their joyous innocence depicts the newest generation of Black Americans who won’t contend with enslavement but will be forced to confront the terrors of Jim Crow.
    Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 26 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • That ease and naturalness are paramount to Copeland.
    Tamim Alnuweiri, InStyle, 9 Apr. 2026
  • The slightly distressed finish of brown sneakers adds naturalness and ease that pairs harmoniously with the low profile of baggy jeans.
    Alex Sales, Glamour, 8 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • This was the most straightforward, efficient episode of the season, pleasurable in its simplicity, with only one gimmick (the to-go orders) that barely made a difference to the episode’s outcome.
    Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 28 Apr. 2026
  • That simplicity is an advantage that baseball has over hockey, where everything moves so much faster and the plays don’t happen in discrete chunks.
    Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 24 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Floyd’s sincerity, the startling extremity of his concern for the comfort of others, snaps Clark out of his depressed, and depressing, complacency.
    Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 24 Apr. 2026
  • But as the left grows increasingly distrustful of big tech companies, progressives aren’t convinced of the moguls’ sincerity.
    Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 24 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • From top to bottom, this administration embodies the perversity, ignorance and belligerence of its leader.
    Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 21 Apr. 2026
  • This action demonstrates the president’s monumental cruelty, total lack of empathy and compassion, pathological narcissism, boundless vengefulness, abysmal ignorance and glaring immaturity.
    Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 21 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Naivety.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/naivety. Accessed 30 Apr. 2026.

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