This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
naive
or na·ïve
[ nah-eev ]
/ nɑˈiv /
Save This Word!
This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
adjective
having or showing a lack of experience, judgment, or information; credulous: She's so naive she believes everything she reads.He has a very naive attitude toward politics.
having or showing unaffected simplicity of nature or absence of artificiality; unsophisticated; ingenuous.
having or marked by a simple, unaffectedly direct style reflecting little or no formal training or technique: valuable naive 19th-century American portrait paintings.
not having previously been the subject of a scientific experiment, as an animal.
OTHER WORDS FOR naive
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?
Origin of naive
First recorded in 1645–55; from French, feminine of naïf, Old French naif “natural, instinctive,” from Latin nātīvus native
usage note for naive
This word is spelled with a dieresis over the i (ï) in French, indicating that it is a separate vowel sound. Many people retain this spelling when writing in English.
OTHER WORDS FROM naive
na·ive·ly, adverbna·ive·ness, nounun·na·ive, adjectiveWords nearby naive
nairu, Naismith, Naismith's rule, naissance, naissant, naive, naively, naive realism, naiveté, naivety, Najaf
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use naive in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for naive
naive
nave naf
/ (naɪˈiːv) /
adjective
- having or expressing innocence and credulity; ingenuous
- (as collective noun; preceded by the)only the naive believed him
artless or unsophisticated
lacking developed powers of analysis, reasoning, or criticisma naive argument
another word for primitive (def. 5)
noun
Derived forms of naive
naively, navely or nafly, adverbnaiveness, naveness or nafness, nounWord Origin for naive
C17: from French, feminine of naïf, from Old French naif native, spontaneous, from Latin nātīvus native, from nasci to be born
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