If you describe someone as naive, you think they lack experience and so expect things to be easy or people to be honest or kind.
It's naive to think that teachers are always tolerant.
I must have been naive to think we would get my parents' blessing.
...naive idealists.
Their view was that he had been politically naive.
naivelyadverb [usually ADVERB with verb]
...naively assuming that they would be protected by local development plans.
I thought, naively, that this would be a nine-to-five job.
naivety (naɪiːvɪti)uncountable noun
I was alarmed by his naivety and ignorance of international affairs.
Synonyms: gullibility, innocence, simplicity, inexperience More Synonyms of naive
Synonyms: gullibility, openness, candour, frankness More Synonyms of naive
More Synonyms of naive
naive in British English
or naïve (naɪˈiːv) or naïf
adjective
1.
a.
having or expressing innocence and credulity; ingenuous
b.
(as collective noun; preceded by the)
only the naive believed her
2.
artless or unsophisticated
3.
lacking developed powers of analysis, reasoning, or criticism
a naive argument
4. another word for primitive (sense 5)
noun
5. rare
a person who is naive, esp in artistic style
primitive (sense 10)
Derived forms
naively (naˈively) or naïvely (naˈïvely) or naïfly (naˈïfly)
adverb
naiveness (naˈiveness) or naïveness (naˈïveness) or naïfness (naˈïfness)
noun
Word origin
C17: from French, feminine of naïf, from Old French naif native, spontaneous, from Latin nātīvusnative, from nasci to be born
naive in American English
(nɑˈiv) or naˈïve (nɑˈiv)
adjective
1.
unaffectedly, or sometimes foolishly, simple; childlike; artless
2.
not suspicious; credulous
SYNONYMY NOTE: naive implies a genuine, innocent simplicity or lack of artificiality but sometimes connotesan almost foolish lack of worldly wisdom [his naive belief in the kindness of others]; ingenuous implies a frankness or straightforwardness that suggests the simplicity of a child[her ingenuous smile at my discomfiture]; artless suggests a lack of artificiality or guile that derives from indifference to the effectone has upon others [her artless beauty]; unsophisticated, like , naive, implies a lack of worldly wisdom resulting from a limited experience of life [an unsophisticated freshman]
OPPOSITES: sophisticated, artful
Derived forms
naively (naˈively)
adverb or naˈïvely
Word origin
Fr, fem. of naïf < L nativus, natural, UNRESOLVED CROSS REF
Examples of 'naive' in a sentence
naive
How many bands have attempted to recapture the mood and style of their naive years?
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
They are not quite so naive as people might think.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
The naive and innocent are lured away by unscrupulous agents.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
The method we were instructed to use now seems naive.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
She now thinks she was naive not to have realised the risk.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
There is a concern that young naive people can get caught up in this.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
It seemed naive to stick to older heads.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
It would be naive to think otherwise.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
How is it possible to be more naive than these people?
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Some may view this as naive.
The Sun (2009)
We're not naive enough to think that.
The Sun (2015)
Much of the appeal was down to the books' naive style.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
But are we naive enough to think that many won't watch for pure entertainment?
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Please do warn innocent and comparatively naive people about these English parasites.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
I must have been naive to think we would get my parents" blessing then.
Gifford, Zerbanoo The Golden Thread - Asian experiences of post-Raj Britain (1990)
I must be naive thinking uni was for education.
The Sun (2011)
I was naive enough to think it would always be like this.
The Sun (2014)
He said: 'I am not naive.
The Sun (2010)
He's got a politically naïve outlook and he probably considers himself some kind of anarchist.
Hugo Wilcken THE EXECUTION (2002)
An ambiguous face -- strong and vulnerable, naïve and shrewd.
Robert Wilson THE COMPANY OF STRANGERS (2002)
In other languages
naive
British English: naive /naɪˈiːv/ ADJECTIVE
If you describe someone as naive, you think they lack experience, causing them to expect things to be uncomplicated or easy, or people to be honest or kind when they are not.
I was naive to think they would agree.
American English: naive
Arabic: سَاذَجٌ
Brazilian Portuguese: ingênuo
Chinese: 天真的
Croatian: naivan
Czech: naivní
Danish: naiv
Dutch: naïef
European Spanish: ingenuo
Finnish: naiivi
French: naïf
German: naiv
Greek: αφελής
Italian: ingenuo
Japanese: うぶな
Korean: 순진한
Norwegian: naiv
Polish: naiwny
European Portuguese: ingénuo
Romanian: naiv
Russian: наивный
Latin American Spanish: ingenuo
Swedish: naiv
Thai: ไม่มีเล่ห์เหลี่ยม ไม่มีมารยา
Turkish: saf
Ukrainian: наївний
Vietnamese: ngây thơ
Chinese translation of 'naive'
naive
or naïve
(naɪˈiːv)
adj
[person, ideas]天真的 (tiānzhēn de)
it was naive of him to believe her他真是天真，竟然相信了她 (tā zhēn shì tiānzhēn, jìngrán xiāngxìnle tā)
1 (adjective)
Definition
innocent and gullible
He's so naive he'll believe anything I tell him.
Synonyms
gullible
I'm so gullible I believed him.
trusting
credulous
Children can be credulous and accept what they are told.
unsuspicious
green
He was a young lad, very green and immature.
simple
He was as simple as a child.
innocent
They seemed so young and innocent.
childlike
She had never lost her childlike sense of wonder.
callow
Although he's 25, he still behaves like a callow youth in some ways.
unsophisticated
He was quite unsophisticated in the ways of the world.
unworldly
Stephen is a little unworldly about such matters.
artless
his artless air and charming smile
ingenuous
He seemed too ingenuous for a reporter.
guileless
She was so guileless that he had no option but to believe her.
wet behind the ears (informal)
jejune
They were of great service in correcting my jejune generalizations.
as green as grass
Opposites
worldly
,
experienced
,
sophisticated
,
sly
,
artful
,
urbane
,
disingenuous
,
worldly-wise
2 (adjective)
Synonyms
gullible
open
natural
Jan's sister was as natural and friendly as the rest of the family.
frank
They had a frank discussion about the issue.
confiding
candid
a candid account of her life in the limelight
unaffected
this unaffected, charming couple
unpretentious
The Tides Inn is both comfortable and unpretentious.
Additional synonyms
in the sense of artless
Definition
natural or unpretentious
his artless air and charming smile
Synonyms
natural,
simple,
fair,
frank,
plain,
pure,
open,
round,
true,
direct,
genuine,
humble,
straightforward,
sincere,
honest,
candid,
unaffected,
upfront (informal),
unpretentious,
unadorned,
dinkum (Australian, New Zealand, informal),
guileless,
uncontrived,
undesigning
in the sense of callow
Definition
young and inexperienced
Although he's 25, he still behaves like a callow youth in some ways.
Synonyms
inexperienced,
juvenile,
naïve,
immature,
raw,
untried,
green,
unsophisticated,
puerile,
guileless,
jejune (formal),
unfledged
in the sense of candid
Definition
honest and straightforward in speech or behaviour
a candid account of her life in the limelight
Synonyms
honest,
just,
open,
truthful,
fair,
plain,
straightforward,
blunt,
sincere,
outspoken,
downright,
impartial,
forthright,
upfront (informal),
unequivocal,
unbiased,
guileless,
unprejudiced,
free,
round,
frank,
ingenuous
Synonyms of 'naive'
naive
Explore 'naive' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of childlike
Definition
like a child, for example in being innocent or trustful
She had never lost her childlike sense of wonder.
Synonyms
innocent,
trusting,
simple,
naive,
credulous,
artless,
ingenuous,
guileless,
unfeigned,
trustful
in the sense of credulous
Definition
arising from or showing credulity
Children can be credulous and accept what they are told.
Synonyms
gullible,
trusting,
unsuspecting,
naive or naïve,
uncritical,
green,
born yesterday (informal),
wet behind the ears (informal),
unsuspicious,
as green as grass,
dupable,
overtrusting
in the sense of frank
Definition
honest and straightforward in speech or attitude
They had a frank discussion about the issue.
Synonyms
candid,
open,
free,
round,
direct,
plain,
straightforward,
blunt,
outright,
sincere,
outspoken,
honest,
downright,
truthful,
forthright,
upfront (informal),
unrestricted,
plain-spoken,
unreserved,
artless,
ingenuous,
straight from the shoulder (informal)
in the sense of green
Definition
inexperienced or gullible
He was a young lad, very green and immature.
Synonyms
inexperienced,
new,
innocent,
raw,
naive,
ignorant,
immature,
gullible,
callow,
untrained,
unsophisticated,
credulous,
ingenuous,
unpolished,
wet behind the ears (informal),
inexpert,
unpractised,
unversed
in the sense of guileless
She was so guileless that he had no option but to believe her.
Synonyms
artless,
open,
genuine,
simple,
natural,
frank,
innocent,
straightforward,
naive,
sincere,
honest,
candid,
truthful,
upfront (informal),
simple-minded,
unsophisticated,
dinkum (Australian, New Zealand, informal),
above-board,
ingenuous,
undesigning
in the sense of ingenuous
Definition
frank and straightforward
He seemed too ingenuous for a reporter.
Synonyms
naive,
open,
trusting,
simple,
frank,
plain,
innocent,
sincere,
honest,
candid,
childlike,
unsophisticated,
unreserved,
artless,
guileless,
unstudied,
trustful
in the sense of innocent
They seemed so young and innocent.
Synonyms
naive,
open,
trusting,
simple,
natural,
frank,
confiding,
candid,
unaffected,
childlike,
gullible,
unpretentious,
unsophisticated,
unworldly,
credulous,
artless,
ingenuous,
guileless,
wet behind the ears (informal),
unsuspicious
in the sense of jejune
Definition
simple and unsophisticated
They were of great service in correcting my jejune generalizations.
Synonyms
simple,
silly,
juvenile,
naive,
pointless,
childish,
immature,
senseless,
unsophisticated,
puerile
in the sense of natural
Definition
genuine or spontaneous
Jan's sister was as natural and friendly as the rest of the family.