naive

American  

[nah-eev] / nɑˈiv /

Or naïve

adjective

1. having or showing a lack of experience, judgment, or information; credulous.

   She's so naive she believes everything she reads.

   He has a very naive attitude toward politics.

2. having or showing unaffected simplicity of nature or absence of artificiality; unsophisticated; ingenuous.

   Synonyms:

   plain, open, candid, guileless, artless, unaffected, simple

   Antonyms:

   artful, sophisticated

3. having or marked by a simple, unaffectedly direct style reflecting little or no formal training or technique.

   valuable naive 19th-century American portrait paintings.

4. not having previously been the subject of a scientific experiment, as an animal.

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naive British  

/ naɪˈiːv /

adjective

1. 1. having or expressing innocence and credulity; ingenuous

   2. ( as collective noun; preceded by the )

      only the naive believed him

2. artless or unsophisticated

3. lacking developed powers of analysis, reasoning, or criticism

   a naive argument

4. another word for primitive

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noun

1. rare a person who is naive, esp in artistic style See primitive

Usage

This word is spelled with a dieresis over the i (ï) in French, indicating that it is a separate vowel sound. Many people retain this spelling when writing in English.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• naiveness
  noun
• unnaive
  adjective
• naively
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of naive

First recorded in 1645–55; from French, feminine of naïf, Old French naif “natural, instinctive,” from Latin nātīvus native

Explanation

No one likes being called naive, since it means you lack sophistication or street smarts. A person who is too trusting can be criticized for being overly naive: "You're so naive, you think that map you bought online will really lead you to buried treasure!" Naive shares the same root as native, and originally meant "natural" or "not artificial." It can still be used in a more positive meaning when describing a charming lack of artificiality, as in "the naive style of folk art made by an untrained painter."

Example Sentences

"Our data provide important information of which pathogens native snakes may likely have but also which they are likely naïve to. This can inform actions needed to prevent pathogen spillover from captive snakes," Mishin concluded.

From Science Daily • May 26, 2026

This “Farm” isn’t lacking for good intentions and, in spots, as with Woody Harrelson’s fine casting as the naïve, loyal horse Boxer, one can see glimmers of what a good adaptation might have been.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

We will have to see what evidence Badenoch has, and what Jenrick says, to assess whether that MP is simply being naïve.

From BBC • Jan. 15, 2026

Strategist Karl Rove called the idea “moronic, stupid, naïve, and dumb.”

From Slate • Jan. 15, 2026

How naïve he’d been, to imagine it was all a matter of understanding.

From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor

Related Words

• ignorant
• innocent
• simple
• sincere
• unsophisticated
• wide-eyed