naivety

American  

[nah-eev-tee, -ee-vuh-] / nɑˈiv ti, -ˈi və- /

Or naïvety

noun

plural

naiveties

1. naiveté.

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naivety British  

/ ˌnaɪiːvˈteɪ, naɪˈiːvtɪ /

noun

1. the state or quality of being naive; ingenuousness; simplicity

2. a naive act or statement

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Explanation

Naivety refers to a lack of experience or sophistication. That taxi driver who charged your Aunt Fay $75 for the ride from the airport was taking advantage of her naivety — your aunt didn’t know it should only cost $50. The noun naivety often refers to the kind of inexperience that allows you to be tricked, but it can also refer to a trusting innocent or a lack of sophistication. For example, if you think you can treat your boss’s daughter like any other employee and just say whatever you want when you have lunch, you may be exhibiting naivety — she may tell your boss what you said.

Example Sentences

Naivety is gone, and there is a second order of complexity; football, as other cultural modes had since the dawn of modernism, began to work with an overt knowledge of its workings.

From The Guardian • Apr. 27, 2010