guilelessness
Americannoun
-
the quality of being sincere, straightforward, artless, etc..
He was known for a certain guilelessness—a genuine and spontaneous character rather than a shrewdly calculating one.
-
lack of awareness of the world and worldly things; innocence or naiveté.
In the past my guilelessness has put me at a disadvantage and made me vulnerable to the deception of others.
Etymology
Origin of guilelessness
First recorded in 1720–30; guileless ( def. ) + -ness ( def. )
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.
That cocktail of competitiveness and guilelessness makes Alcaraz hard to dislike.
From The Wall Street Journal • Sep. 8, 2025
He conveys an inherent sweetness, a sense of guilelessness and innocence that serves his portrayal as the protective oldest brother, and provides a contrast to his bulked-up physique.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 22, 2023
There is a rather astonishing guilelessness to his manner.
From Slate • Mar. 3, 2023
Instead, she approaches the exercises to test her fitness with a guilelessness that at first confounds him — but that ultimately impels him to confront his own tumultuous existence.
From New York Times • Aug. 3, 2021
Problem was, with Rishi and his utter guilelessness, she felt guilty for her ferocity, for subjecting him to an entire lifetime of pent-up rage that had little to do with him.
From "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon
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.
