naive
pronunciation
How to pronounce naive in British English:
UK [naɪˈiːv]
How to pronounce naive in American English:
US [naɪˈiːv]
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- Adjective:
- marked by or showing unaffected simplicity and lack of guile or worldly experience
- lacking experience of life
- lacking sophistication
Word Origin
- naive
- naive: see native
- naive (adj.)
- 1650s, "natural, simple, artless," from French naïve, fem. of naïf, from Old French naif "naive, natural, genuine; just born; foolish, innocent; unspoiled, unworked" (13c.), from Latin nativus "not artificial," also "native, rustic," literally "born, innate, natural" (see native (adj.)). Related: Naively.
Synonym
unseasoned wet green the immature unworldly unripe inexperienced uneducated uninitiate unwise uninitiated ears unschooled behind unsophisticated raw
Example
- 1. Certainly , mr khan can come across as naive .
- 2. The federalists considered this view naive and dangerous .
- 3. But economists were hardly naive believers in market efficiency .
- 4. When they were disappointed , many placed naive faith in mr medvedev after 2008 .
- 5. It would be naive to think otherwise .