naivete
naivete Lexical Profile
naivete Game Scores & Validity
• noun
The state or quality of lacking worldly experience, wisdom, or judgment; unsophisticated innocence or gullibility.
"The young entrepreneur's initial naivete about market competition quickly gave way to shrewd business instincts."
A naive, artless, or unsophisticated remark or action.
"The seasoned diplomats smiled politely at the newcomer's well-meaning naivetes during the summit."
Word Nuance & Usage
Often spelled with diacritical marks as "naïveté" or "naiveté" to reflect its French pronunciation, and frequently interchanged with the more anglicized variant "naivety".
• Rhymes for naivete
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the late 17th century from French naïveté, from Old French naïf ('natural, native, artless'), ultimately from Latin nativus ('born, innate, natural').
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.