naïf

American  

[nah-eef] / nɑˈif /

Or naif

noun

1. a naive or inexperienced person.

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adjective

1. naive.

naïf British  

/ naɪˈiːf /

adjective

1. a less common word for naive

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Etymology

Origin of naïf

First recorded in 1575–1600 ; from Middle French; masculine of naïve ( def. )

Explanation

A naif is a person with very little experience. When you're just starting a new job, you often feel like a naif. You might have noticed how similar the noun naif is to the adjective naive. They share a common origin, the French word naïf, which means both "natural, unspoiled, or innocent" and also "foolish." When you describe someone using the adjective form of naif — which can be used interchangeably with naive — you are usually implying that the person is a little childlike or immature.

Example Sentences

It’s a classic hero’s journey as the young naïf leaves home and learns the harsh truth about the world.

From Los Angeles Times • May 9, 2024

One of the greatest tragedies of the Messenger is a hypothetical left unfulfilled: What could someone who wasn’t a complete naïf have done with a $50 million investment in a media company?

From Slate • Feb. 1, 2024

Its deft scrappy aesthetic, applied to a modern symptom like the Powerball, winks at the stereotype of the outsider artist as visionary naïf.

From New York Times • Jan. 24, 2024

When the former heel of “The View” broached the topic near the top of her new podcast’s third episode the naïf in me wondered if he’d answered those questions.

From Salon • Oct. 27, 2023

The crown lying on the ledge of the bed is an arbitrary introduction, as naïf as the angel.

From The Venetian School of Painting by Phillipps, Evelyn March