ingénue

or in·ge·nue

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

noun, plural in·gé·nues [an-zhuh-nooz, -nyooz; French an-zhey-ny] /ˈæn ʒəˌnuz, -ˌnyuz; French ɛ̃ ʒeɪˈnü/.

the part of an artless, innocent, unworldly girl or young woman, especially as represented on the stage.

an actress who plays such a part or specializes in playing such parts.

Origin of ingénue

1840–50; < French, feminine of ingénu < Latin ingenuus native, inborn, etc.; see ingenuous

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for ingenues

babe, stooge, sucker, gull, dupe, victim, child, greenhorn, naive

Examples from the Web for ingenues

Contemporary Examples of ingenues

And sure, actresses and ingenues were getting excited about it after the huge gains.
When Celebrities Like Mila Kunis Talk Stocks, It’s Time to Get Out of the Market
Daniel Gross
March 15, 2013

Historical Examples of ingenues

I discovered my two ingenues might have been taken from the Forest Home!
Nat Goodwin's Book
Nat C. Goodwin
I didn't know that your taste ran to ingenues to such an extent.
The Malefactor
E. Phillips Oppenheim

British Dictionary definitions for ingenues

ingénue

noun

an artless, innocent, or inexperienced girl or young woman

Word Origin for ingénue

C19: from French, feminine of ingénu ingenuous

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for ingenues

ingenue

1848, from French ingénue "artless girl, especially on the stage," fem. of ingénu "ingenuous, artless, simple" (13c.), from Latin ingenuus (see ingenuous). Italicized in English into 20c.