definitions

naive

or na·ïve

[ nah-eev ]
/ nɑˈiv /
||
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR naive ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

having or showing unaffected simplicity of nature or absence of artificiality; unsophisticated; ingenuous.
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.
having or marked by a simple, unaffectedly direct style reflecting little or no formal training or technique: valuable naive 19th-century American portrait paintings.
not having previously been the subject of a scientific experiment, as an animal.

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RELATED WORDS

innocent, simple, sincere, ignorant, unsophisticated, wide-eyed, aboveboard, artless, callow, candid, countrified, credulous, forthright, frank, fresh, green, guileless, gullible, harmless, impulsive

Nearby words

naismith, naismith's rule, naismith, james, naissance, naissant, naive, naive realism, naivety, naiveté, najaf, najd

Origin of naive

1645–55; < French, feminine of naïf, Old French naif natural, instinctive < Latin nātīvus native
Related formsna·ive·ly, adverbna·ive·ness, nounun·na·ive, adjectiveun·na·ive·ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for naive

British Dictionary definitions for naive

naive

nave naf

/ (naɪˈiːv) /

adjective

  1. having or expressing innocence and credulity; ingenuous
  2. (as collective noun; preceded by the)only the naive believed him
artless or unsophisticated
lacking developed powers of analysis, reasoning, or criticisma naive argument
another word for primitive (def. 5)

noun

rare a person who is naive, esp in artistic styleSee primitive (def. 10)
Derived Formsnaively, navely or nafly, adverbnaiveness, naveness or nafness, noun

Word Origin for naive

C17: from French, feminine of naïf, from Old French naif native, spontaneous, from Latin nātīvus native, from nasci to be born
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

Medicine definitions for naive

naive

adj.

Lacking worldliness and sophistication.
Simple and credulous as a child.
Not previously subjected to experiments.
Not having previously taken or received a particular drug.

n.

One who is artless, credulous, or uncritical.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.