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

Abdou Naif lives in a makeshift community on the side of a road with some 140 other people, unable to pay rent or find work.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 3, 2023

Naif Yeasir, 11, said: "I am very happy because he is my favourite player and I didn't know who he was until I came to live in England in 2018."

From BBC • Jul. 10, 2021

Tubaigy, 47, is a top professor in the criminal evidence department at Naif Arab University for Security Sciences.

From Washington Post • Oct. 16, 2018

Naif Jardo Qassim, a psychotherapist treating children at Rawanga refugee camp near Dohuk emphasized that they are “victims and not criminals,” and should be treated as such.

From Reuters • Mar. 8, 2018

Naif, full of a charming pride, he loved literature "as the Arab loves the wild horse he has found a difficulty in subduing."

From Honore de Balzac, His Life and Writings by Sandars, Mary F. (Mary Frances)