unsophisticated
Americanadjective
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not sophisticated; simple; artless.
- Synonyms:
- inexperienced, naive, ingenuous
-
without complexity or refinements.
a relatively unsophisticated mechanism.
-
unadulterated; pure; genuine.
adjective
-
lacking experience or worldly wisdom
-
marked by a lack of refinement or complexity
an unsophisticated machine
-
unadulterated or genuine
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of unsophisticated
First recorded in 1620–30; un- 1 + sophisticated
Vocabulary lists containing unsophisticated
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
I think the last 10 years of the American experience has shown that the American public is quite unsophisticated in large parts of it.
From Salon ● Jun. 15, 2026
“Market and economic concentration is in one new sector that is highly volatile and risky—and is super-popular among unsophisticated investors,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 7, 2026
This isn’t really about sophisticated firms being punished by unsophisticated ones, although there’s some of that.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 22, 2026
Colonial-era urban elites in Calcutta, influenced by European tastes, often dismissed jatra as rustic or unsophisticated.
From BBC ● Apr. 4, 2026
I was unsophisticated and tried to use nosiness only when it counted the most.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
