variants also naivete or naiveté
1
2
as in gullibility
readiness to believe the claims of others without sufficient evidence though he was streetwise, the investigative reporter regularly assumed an air of naïveté when he was interviewing confidence men, charlatans, counterfeiters, and other assorted swindlers of the general public

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of naïveté On the contrary, the narrative voice mixes naivete and disbelief. Bartolomeo Sala, The Dial, 27 Mar. 2025 One character starts with hope and naivete, and the other with the wisdom that comes from tough, life-altering experiences. Nick Jonas, USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2025 Thus begins an addictive of melding personal infatuation with messy dynamics, as spirits of domination and naivete co-mingle. Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 6 Mar. 2025 There’s a lot of naivete, certainly, in certain forms of popular music. Katherine Turman, SPIN, 3 Feb. 2025 Our heroes’ naivete is catching, apparently. Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 5 Jan. 2025 The fund’s appreciation of over 600% YTD raises concerns about flawed perceptions of SpaceX ownership and naivete regarding the premium to NAV. Joel Shulman, Forbes, 25 Dec. 2024 Merkel also displays naivete over global warming. Bruce Fein, Baltimore Sun, 12 Dec. 2024 Perhaps the spectacle of naivete is all part of the Altman image. Allison Morrow, CNN, 5 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for naïveté
Noun
  • His request to keep Morales’ bond at $5 million was denied when Murphy acquiesced a request made by Supervisory Assistant State’s Attorney Howard S. Stein to raise bail by $2.5 million now that Morales no longer has the presumption of innocence.
    Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 22 Apr. 2025
  • The 48-year-old, who pleaded not guilty in 2020, took the stand in his defense last week, reaffirming his claim of innocence.
    Muri Assunção, New York Daily News, 22 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Resembling in color a smooth pebble after heavy rains, the calfskin leather holder has but one compartment and one back pocket — taking it back to the basics and accentuating simplicity.
    Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 10 Apr. 2025
  • Each jurisdiction is weighing its own trade-offs between administrative simplicity, fiscal integrity, and enforcement capacity.
    Aleksandra Bal, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Instead, choose two or three areas where your brand or institution has real credibility and focus relentlessly.
    Toby Wong, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025
  • Countries with independent central banks have greater credibility to stick to inflation targets and weather instability.
    The Editors, National Review, 22 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • But the presumption of regularity is not an imperative of ignorance or a rule mandating that judges be ostriches.
    Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2025
  • This was the result of human ignorance, faulty assumptions, and limited evidence, much of it anecdotal.
    Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 11 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • That the leader of a notoriously cruel occupying power would have shown such compassion for a militant rebel strains credulity and defies the historical record.
    Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 1 Apr. 2025
  • The only issue is that the entire theory strains credulity.
    Andrew Leahey, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • The Danish government dismissed Trump’s idea and critics mocked his supposed naivety.
    Ryan P. Burke, Orlando Sentinel, 14 Feb. 2025
  • My naivety was expunged in my first few weeks on the job post-graduation.
    Abubakar Adam Ibrahim, The Dial, 4 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Nevertheless, your natural optimism might be dimmed somewhat because there’s a lot of negative energy out there today.
    Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 13 Apr. 2025
  • The concept itself is immediately intriguing and touching, but what really sets it over the top is its surprising optimism.
    Steve Greene, IndieWire, 12 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Naïveté.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/na%C3%AFvet%C3%A9. Accessed 26 Apr. 2025.

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