naïf

or na·if

[ nah-eef ]

/ nɑˈif /

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noun

a naive or inexperienced person.

adjective

naive.

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Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of naïf

First recorded in 1575–1600 ; from Middle French; masculine of naïve

Words nearby naïf

Nahum, NAI, naiad, NAIC, Naida, naïf, nail, nail bar, nail bed, nail-biter, nail-biting

How to use naïf in a sentence

In her telling, she was, until just five years ago, a complete naif about climate change.
Naomi Klein’s ‘This Changes Everything’ Will Change Nothing|Michael Signer|November 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Cole, who once served as a special counsel investigating the House Bank scandal, is no political naif.
Jonathan Malis and the DOJ Leak Investigation|Daniel Klaidman|May 16, 2013|DAILY BEAST
For three and a half decades, Naif oversaw the ministry of the interior, which brutally repressed liberals and dissidents.
Saudi Arabia’s Feminist Revolution Has Begun|David Keyes|April 7, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Saudi newspapers demanded an investigation, but it was Naif who ordered an end to all editorials on the subject.
Prince Naif’s War On Saudi Liberals And How Obama Is Abetting The Crackdown|David Keyes|November 11, 2011|DAILY BEAST

The ascent of Naif spells the death of reform and human rights in Saudi Arabia.
Prince Naif’s War On Saudi Liberals And How Obama Is Abetting The Crackdown|David Keyes|November 11, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Of course you should really go to the theological seminary and establish this naif intuitive mysticism upon a disciplined basis.
Where the Blue Begins|Christopher Morley
Their naif delight at the varied skill of the riders was most charming to witness.
Tour in England, Ireland, and France, in the years 1826, 1827, 1828 and 1829.|Hermann Pckler-Muskau
Being a lump of simplicity, his sceptism was as naif as his enthusiasm.
The Cloister and the Hearth|Charles Reade
I was laboriously 'graceful;' and sported my 'naif sensibility' till it was any thing but naif.
Discipline|Mary Brunton
Strange enough, and I confess it with naif delight, I did not feel at all afraid.
Paris under the Commune|John Leighton

British Dictionary definitions for naïf

naïf

/ (naɪˈiːf) /

adjective, noun

a less common word for naive

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012