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

• naively adverb
• naiveness noun
• unnaive adjective

Etymology

Origin of naive

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

Example Sentences

In “Bigger Than Fashion: How ‘Streetwear’ Conquered Culture,” Tyler Watamanuk, a longtime writer for GQ, chronicles the slow and bumpy ride to success of a naive group of outsider and self-funded creatives.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

"Pakistan could be susceptible to allegations that it was naive," he says of that scenario.

From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026

I mean, this could be naive, but I feel 100% safe that you are never going to replicate an evening of stand-up at a nigtclub like that.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 27, 2026

Maybe I’m naive, but I cannot picture anyone involved in that mission walking away, shrugging their shoulders, and just getting on with their life.

From Slate • Mar. 16, 2026

I was fourteen and had never made less than an A. I was smart, but I was as naive as they come.

From "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett

Related Words

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