guilelessness

[ gahyl-lis-nis ]

noun

1. the quality of being sincere, straightforward, artless, etc.:

   He was known for a certain guilelessness—a genuine and spontaneous character rather than a shrewdly calculating one.

2. lack of awareness of the world and worldly things; innocence or naiveté:

   In the past my guilelessness has put me at a disadvantage and made me vulnerable to the deception of others.

Word History and Origins

Origin of guilelessness¹

First recorded in 1720–30; guileless ( def ) + -ness ( def )

Example Sentences

He conveys an inherent sweetness, a sense of guilelessness and innocence that serves his portrayal as the protective oldest brother, and provides a contrast to his bulked-up physique.

From Los Angeles Times

There is a rather astonishing guilelessness to his manner.

From Slate

Kuzma left some of his guilelessness in Los Angeles.

From Washington Post

Speaking about the actor by phone, Baron remains impressed by Fraser’s guilelessness and candor: “He is, by both Hollywood celebrity standards and regular human standards, a remarkably honest, vulnerable guy in a line of work where being honest and vulnerable gets beaten out of you at an early age.”

From Washington Post

“I tend to just love the bravery and the guilelessness that comes with being young. So much of what I did as a young person, I couldn’t have done if I’d had an awareness of how older people were looking at me or us.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• candor
• earnestness
• frankness
• genuineness
• goodwill
• impartiality
• probity
• reliability
• seriousness
• trustworthiness
• truth
• truthfulness
• veracity