unsophisticated

American  

[uhn-suh-fis-ti-key-tid] / ˌʌn səˈfɪs tɪˌkeɪ tɪd /

adjective

1. not sophisticated; sophisticated; simple; artless.

   Synonyms:

   inexperienced, naive, ingenuous

2. without complexity or refinements.

   a relatively unsophisticated mechanism.

3. unadulterated; pure; genuine.

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unsophisticated British  

/ ˌʌnsəˈfɪstɪˌkeɪtɪd /

adjective

1. lacking experience or worldly wisdom

2. marked by a lack of refinement or complexity

   an unsophisticated machine

3. unadulterated or genuine

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Other Word Forms

• unsophisticatedly adverb
• unsophisticatedness noun
• unsophistication noun

Etymology

Origin of unsophisticated

First recorded in 1620–30; un- ¹ + sophisticated

Example Sentences

Critics of the plan argue that the guardrails that limit access to private markets are necessary to protect unsophisticated investors.

From The Wall Street Journal

Nobody wants to be unsophisticated, or a prude.

From The Wall Street Journal

Bogan, a term which first emerged in Australia in the 1980s, initially meant an "unsophisticated and uncultured person" with negative connotations, but not for Louis.

From BBC

“The market for these stocks is unsophisticated retail investors. There are no institutions buying these things,” Ritter said.

From The Wall Street Journal

We were unsophisticated regarding the business end of it, and we just loved creating music.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• guileless
• inexperienced
• naive
• straightforward
• uninvolved