naïveté

noun

nä-ˌēv-ˈtā How to pronounce naïveté (audio)
variants also naivete or naiveté
Definition of naïveténext
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

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
  1. innocence
  2. gullibility
  3. simplicity
  4. credibility
  5. ignorance
  6. credulity
  7. naivety
  8. credulousness
Noun
  • The joy and innocence that greeted students and teachers on their return to school in early September has been lost, replaced by a somber and quiet aura.
    — Ray Sanchez, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Holmes, the former founder of Theranos who was found guilty on four counts of fraud in 2022 and who insists on her innocence throughout the documentary, begins her 11-year sentence in a federal prison in Texas.
    — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of innocence
Noun
  • Beyond the mystery at the novel’s core, Candlish examines themes of #MeToo harassment, truth versus fiction in social media trends, boomerang kids, and the fine line between gullibility and trust.
    — The Know, Denver Post, 4 Oct. 2026
  • 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
Definition of gullibility
Noun
  • Now manufacturers are reconsidering whether that simplicity is worth the waste.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The simplicity of the shoes paired well with her crimson-red sequined and beaded ensemble that landed right at her ankles.
    — Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of simplicity
Noun
  • Changes to hardware are necessary to restore the credibility of Europe’s nuclear deterrence.
    — Ivo H. Daalder, Foreign Affairs, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The issue ultimately comes down to credibility, an essential attribute for any press secretary.
    — Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of credibility
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
Noun
  • What’s worse is the scene that follows, revealing the clean-up of multiple bodies and an elaborate rewriting of the narrative that strains credulity to put it mildly, not to mention shortchanging the Mexican characters.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2026
  • 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
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
Noun
  • Her credulousness has actually served Fox as a legal defense, since a person has to know a statement was false or show reckless disregard for the truth in order to be held liable for defamation.
    — Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of credulousness

Browse Nearby Words

naiveness
naïveté
naivety
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Cite this Entry

“Naïveté.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/na%C3%AFvet%C3%A9. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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