ingénue

American  

[an-zhuh-noo, -nyoo, an-zhey-ny] / ˈæn ʒəˌnu, -ˌnyu, ɛ̃ ʒeɪˈnü /

Or ingenue

noun

PLURAL

ingénues

1. an artless, innocent, unworldly girl or young woman.

   Navy and cocoa browns are good neutrals for the ingénue, and the right creamy beige or pearl gray are good choices for her more classic outfits.

2. the role of a young, innocent, and appealing character in a play, movie, TV show, etc., typically a female role.

3. an actress or actor who plays such a role or specializes in playing such roles.

4. a young actress or actor.

   At the awards event, natural diamonds were the gemstone of choice for both Hollywood ingenues and veterans alike.

5. a young, inexperienced person.

   The ailing leader Kim Jong Il sought to transfer power to his youngest son, a political ingenue in his 20s.

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ingénue British  

/ ɛ̃ʒeny, ˌænʒeɪˈnjuː /

noun

1. an artless, innocent, or inexperienced girl or young woman

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Etymology

Origin of ingénue

First recorded in 1840–50; from French, feminine of ingénu, from Latin ingenuus “native, inborn”; ingenuous; ingenuity ( def. )

Example Sentences

Rachel is taken with Gustav’s films, and the director sees a familiar spark of brilliance in the young ingenue.

From Salon

I pictured Florence, this young ingenue that the world is so excited about, that people who love movies are just really excited about, and I pictured her opposite some older, amazing legend.

From Salon

The set was split into sections, one for each of her 10 albums, tracing her journey from country ingénue to chart-topping pop star to lockdown-era folk singer - albeit with a mixed-up chronology.

From BBC

But here, the potential victim is a total cretin, not a skinny-dipping ingénue or a fearsome fisherman.

From New York Times

They serve as proof of credentials, a sort of polyester-blend certificate of authenticity: a visual shorthand that you were there, at least in spirit, for Turin in 1990 and Wembley, the old Wembley, six years later, that you are no ingénue, that you know what it is to suffer.

From New York Times

Related Words

• babe
• ingénue