variants
also naivete
or naiveté
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
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Recent Examples of naïveté
But that optimism now veers into naivete.
—
Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 2 May 2026
Miho Sakoda’s Butterfly (Cio-Cio-San) managed a deft balance of girlish naiveté, true love and bitter betrayal with a soprano of apparently limitless expressivity.
—Scott Cantrell, Dallas Morning News, 11 Apr. 2026
Bailey has a wide-eyed clueless cuteness that lends to her character’s well-meaning naiveté — even her missteps have a way of working out.
—Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
The album thrives on the same balance of adolescent naivete and angst that animates foundational cloud rap releases like Lean’s Unknown Death 2002 and Lil B’s 6 Kiss.
—Billie Bugara, Pitchfork, 1 Apr. 2026
In an animal print and with generous straps across the instep, the result feels much more like grown-up sophistication than any naivete.
—Alex Sales, Glamour, 29 Mar. 2026
History says a roster with the Spurs’ cumulative postseason naivete has no business thinking about playing for a title.
—Mike Finger, San Antonio Express-News, 2 Mar. 2026
Costume designer Freddy Wittop gave Lee a special hat for Minnie Fay, one that symbolized the character’s endless curiosity and naiveté, with a feather in the shape of a giant question mark.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 25 Feb. 2026
Students brought the enthusiasm, but their naivete showed in planning and preparation.
—Cate Charron, IndyStar, 5 Feb. 2026
Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 2 May 2026
Miho Sakoda’s Butterfly (Cio-Cio-San) managed a deft balance of girlish naiveté, true love and bitter betrayal with a soprano of apparently limitless expressivity.
—Scott Cantrell, Dallas Morning News, 11 Apr. 2026
Bailey has a wide-eyed clueless cuteness that lends to her character’s well-meaning naiveté — even her missteps have a way of working out.
—Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
The album thrives on the same balance of adolescent naivete and angst that animates foundational cloud rap releases like Lean’s Unknown Death 2002 and Lil B’s 6 Kiss.
—Billie Bugara, Pitchfork, 1 Apr. 2026
In an animal print and with generous straps across the instep, the result feels much more like grown-up sophistication than any naivete.
—Alex Sales, Glamour, 29 Mar. 2026
History says a roster with the Spurs’ cumulative postseason naivete has no business thinking about playing for a title.
—Mike Finger, San Antonio Express-News, 2 Mar. 2026
Costume designer Freddy Wittop gave Lee a special hat for Minnie Fay, one that symbolized the character’s endless curiosity and naiveté, with a feather in the shape of a giant question mark.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 25 Feb. 2026
Students brought the enthusiasm, but their naivete showed in planning and preparation.
—Cate Charron, IndyStar, 5 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for naïveté
Noun
-
Attorneys representing the Flores family vehemently asserted their clients’ innocence, repeatedly citing a lack of eyewitnesses and evidence.—
Ray Sanchez,
CNN Money,
10 May 2026
-
But this should not be a matter of ticking off the boxes to rush an execution of someone who has a real claim of innocence, and the Supreme Court should be very cautious about sanctioning an approach where the state is prioritizing speed over the cause of justice.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
These forces—economic uncertainty, political division, and toxic algorithms—work in a vicious cycle to try and tell us that empathy is weakness… that kindness is gullibility… that sincerity is for suckers.—
DeJanay Booth-Singleton,
CBS News,
26 Feb. 2026
-
The Enlightenment faith in reason, science, and free speech, already weakened by the First World War, had been devastated by an unprecedented bureaucracy of mass death, sustained by technology, systematic deceit, widespread gullibility, and eager acquiescence.—
Victor J. Blue,
Harpers Magazine,
23 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The simplicity of LaceLocker® also remains central to its appeal.—
Nia Bowers,
USA Today,
12 May 2026
-
The fresh flip-flop offerings prove that simplicity need not be sacrificed for stylishness, and that all-day comfiness should most certainly not take a back seat to a head-turning summertime aesthetic.—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
11 May 2026
Noun
-
The lawsuit also alleges authorities relied on testimony from a jailhouse informant who received benefits in exchange for cooperating, while failing to disclose information that could have undermined his credibility.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
7 May 2026
-
Maybe the new buyers, wonderful people, will be able to bring it back to its former credibility and glory.—
Irene Wright,
USA Today,
6 May 2026
Noun
-
The failure of so many people to understand the basic facts about marginal tax rates is one of those little pockets of ignorance that manufacture Republican voters.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
6 May 2026
-
Advertisement Maybe ignorance really can be bliss.—
Shannon Carlin,
Time,
6 May 2026
Noun
-
The hope of one day inheriting Cal’s construction empire was part of what motivated Nate to act so … violently in high school, but without the context of how that takeover happened, his success strains credulity.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
13 Apr. 2026
-
But the idea that athletic departments and their associated fundraising arms should be classified as tax-exempt nonprofits promoting education and amateur sports strains credulity.—
Andrew Urbaczewski,
The Conversation,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Perhaps that naivety is necessary when such a grueling, life-affecting period lies ahead, particularly at 24 years old.—
George Ramsay,
New York Times,
7 May 2026
-
The reality of their relationship wasn't lost on the singer, despite her naivety about their ability to last.—
Mekishana Pierre,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Mar. 2026
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
Cite this Entry
“Naïveté.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/na%C3%AFvet%C3%A9. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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