naïf

American  

[nah-eef] / nɑˈif /

Or naif

noun

1. a naive or inexperienced person.

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adjective

1. naive.

naïf British  

/ naɪˈiːf /

adjective

1. a less common word for naive

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Etymology

Origin of naïf

First recorded in 1575–1600 ; from Middle French; masculine of naïve ( def. )

Explanation

A naif is a person with very little experience. When you're just starting a new job, you often feel like a naif. You might have noticed how similar the noun naif is to the adjective naive. They share a common origin, the French word naïf, which means both "natural, unspoiled, or innocent" and also "foolish." When you describe someone using the adjective form of naif — which can be used interchangeably with naive — you are usually implying that the person is a little childlike or immature.

Example Sentences

One of the greatest tragedies of the Messenger is a hypothetical left unfulfilled: What could someone who wasn’t a complete naïf have done with a $50 million investment in a media company?

From Slate • Feb. 1, 2024

Efron embodies all of these contradictions in his performance as Kevin, a naïf who becomes too familiar with life’s cruelties.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 22, 2023

When the former heel of “The View” broached the topic near the top of her new podcast’s third episode the naïf in me wondered if he’d answered those questions.

From Salon • Oct. 27, 2023

Thanks to projects like “The Crown,” Diana is understood posthumously not as a blushing naïf but as a woman who was as media-savvy and manipulative as she was magnetic.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 8, 2022

He joined in it, but with a naïf uneasiness.

From The Convert by Robins, Elizabeth