naiveté

or na·ïve·té, na·ive·te

[ nah-eev-tey, -ee-vuh-tey, -eev-tey, -ee-vuh- ]

noun

1. the quality or state of being naive; natural or artless simplicity.
2. a naive action, remark, etc.

Word History and Origins

Origin of naiveté¹

First recorded in 1665–75; from French; naive, -ity ( def )

Example Sentences

In 2016 that starry-eyed naivete led to the deep despair that we all felt when Trump eked out a win over Hillary Clinton.

From Salon

It left him perplexed and saddened—an almost surprising display of naivete from someone who had spent so much time in newsrooms.

From Slate

Ani is the only girl at Headquarters who speaks Russian, and her rusty language skills picked up from her grandmother perfectly complement Ivan’s sexual naivete and boyish charm.

From Salon

Maybe it was a naïveté of youth?

From Salon

“Please understand, I was actually embarrassed about my sexual naivete. I was in my 20s and knew nothing about sex. All I wanted to do was bury the incident in my mind and protect my family.”

From Los Angeles Times