naive

or na·ïve

[ nah-eev ]
/ nɑˈiv /
SEE 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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Origin of naive

1645–55; < French, feminine of naïf, Old French naif natural, instinctive < Latin nātīvus native

OTHER WORDS FROM naive

na·ive·ly, adverbna·ive·ness, nounun·na·ive, adjectiveun·na·ive·ly, adverb

Words nearby naive

nairu, naismith, naismith's rule, naissance, naissant, naive, naive realism, naivety, naiveté, najaf, nakasone
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to naive

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

Example sentences 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 forms of naive

naively, 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

Medical 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.