ingénue

Or in·ge·nue

[an-zhuh-noo, -nyoo, an-zhey-ny]

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.

ingénue

/ ɛ̃ʒeny, ˌænʒeɪˈnjuː /

noun

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of ingénue¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of ingénue¹

C19: from French, feminine of ingénu _ingenuous

Example Sentences

His nose twitches are as dramatic as an ingenue’s gasp.

From Los Angeles Times

Pickett explains: "I wasn't really interested in her being an ingénue."

From BBC

All a male ingenue needed to do was smile and kiss the girl.

From Los Angeles Times

With Early himself fulfilling a long-held dream of portraying a classic ingenue, a role he fulfills with tender gusto, the film feels like the work of a bunch of pals having fun together while simultaneously producing a treatise on how to update the melodrama for modern times.

From Los Angeles Times

It’s her first substantial, serious part since 2023’s underseen “Reality” and she seizes the opportunity to be talked about as something other than the internet’s most polarizing ingenue.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• babe 
• ingénue