naive
too willing to believe that someone is telling the truth, that people's intentions in general are good, or that life is simple and fair. People are often naive because they are young and/or have not had much experience of life
don't be so naive!
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
naive
na‧ive /naɪˈiːv/ adjective
[Date: 1600-1700; Language: French; Origin: naïve, feminine of naïf, from Latin nativus; ⇒ native]
not having much experience of how complicated life is, so that you trust people too much and believe that good things will always happen ⇒ innocent:
a naive young girl
Jim can be so naive sometimes.
it is naive to think/suppose/assume etc
It would be naive to think that this could solve all the area’s problems straight away.
naively adverb:
I had naively imagined that he was in love with me.
naivety /naɪˈiːvəti/ (also naiveté /naɪˈiːvəteɪ/) noun [uncountable]:
dangerous political naivety
Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
naive
naive (also naïve) [naɪˈiːv] [naɪˈiːv] adjective
1. (disapproving) lacking experience of life, knowledge or good judgement and willing to believe that people always tell you the truth
• to be politically naive
• I can't believe you were so naive as to trust him!
• a naive question
2. (approving) (of people and their behaviour) innocent and simple
Syn: artless
• Their approach to life is refreshingly naive.
compare sophisticated
3. (technical) (of art) in a style which is deliberately very simple, often uses bright colours and is similar to that produced by a child
Derived Words: naively ▪ naivety
See also: naïvely ▪ naïvety
Word Origin:
mid 17th cent.: from French naïve, feminine of naïf, from Latin nativus ‘native, natural’.
Thesaurus:
naive (also naïve) adj. (disapproving)
• It was so naive of you to trust him!
inexperienced • • innocent • • impressionable • |disapproving gullible • |often approving trusting •
Opp: sophisticated
a naive/an innocent belief
a/an inexperienced/impressionable/gullible/trusting person
an innocent/impressionable child
Example Bank:
• He regarded the move as politically naive.
• He made some particularly naive remarks.
• I can't believe you were so naive as to trust him!
• It would be naive of us to think that football is only a game.
Example Bank:
• Opposition politicians accused him of naivety.
• She showed a certain naivety in going to the press about the matter.
• Their welcoming attitude towards strangers is often seen as naivety.
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary
naive
naive, naïve /naɪˈiːv/
adjective MAINLY DISAPPROVING
too willing to believe that someone is telling the truth, that people's intentions in general are good or that life is simple and fair. People are often naive because they are young and/or have not had much experience of life:
She was very naive to believe that he'd stay with her.
They make the naive assumption that because it's popular it must be good.
It was a little naive of you to think that they would listen to your suggestions.
naively, naïvely /naɪˈiːv.li/
adverb
I, perhaps naively, believed he was telling the truth.
naivety, naïveté /naɪˈiː.vɪ.ti/ US /-və.ţi/
noun [U]
trust based on lack of experience:
DISAPPROVING He demonstrated a worrying naivety about political issues.
APPROVING I think her naivety is charming - she's so unspoilt and fresh.
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary
naive
[naɪi͟ːv, AM nɑː-]
also naїve
ADJ-GRADED: oft it v-link ADJ to-inf, ADJ to-inf
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.
Syn:
unrealistic
Derived words:
naively ADV-GRADED usu ADV with v ...naively applying Western solutions to Eastern problems... I thought, naively, that this would be a nine-to five job.
naivety [naɪi͟ːvɪti] N-UNCOUNT I was alarmed by his naivety and ignorance of international affairs.
Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary
naive
na·ive or na·ïve /nɑˈiːv, naɪˈiːv/ adj [more ~; most ~] : having or showing a lack of experience or knowledge : innocent or simple
• a naive belief that all people are good
• a naive view of the world
• She asked a lot of naive questions.
• He's politically naive. = He's naive about the nature of politics.
• I was young and naive at the time, and I didn't think anything bad could happen to me.
• The plan seems a little naive.
• If you're naive enough to believe him, you'll believe anyone.
• We're not naive to the fact [=we're not unaware of the fact] that there are problems with the system.
- na·ive·ly or na·ïve·ly adv
• I naively believed that we could fix the problem.
- na·ïve·té also na·ive·te or na·ive·té /nɑˌiːvˈteɪ, naɪˌiːvˈteɪ/ noun [noncount]
• political naïveté
- na·ive·ty also na·ïve·ty /nɑˈiːvəti, naɪˈiːvəti/ noun [noncount] chiefly Brit
• political naïvety
