Meaning & use
naiveness
Last updated
UK/naɪˈiːv.nəs/
US/naɪˈiːv.nəs/
Meaning
noununcountable
The quality of being too trusting and lacking experience of how the world works.
Grammar: Usually no article: his naiveness surprised us.
Patterns
- the naiveness of someone
- someone's naiveness about something
Her naiveness made her an easy target for the scammer.
I was surprised by his naiveness about money.
The naiveness of the plan was obvious to everyone.
Common combinations
- youthful naiveness
- His youthful naiveness charmed the group.
- show naiveness
- She showed naiveness when she trusted the stranger.
- political naiveness
- Critics pointed to the minister's political naiveness.
- touching naiveness
- The child asked with touching naiveness.
Synonyms and how they differ
- naivety
- Naivety is the more common spelling and is preferred in careful writing, though both mean the same.
- innocence
- Innocence is gentler and can be a positive quality, while naiveness often suggests foolish trust.
- gullibility
- Gullibility means being too easily tricked, which is stronger than naiveness.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: naiveness or nativeness?
naiveness vs nativeness
Nativeness relates to being native to a place. Naiveness is about being inexperienced and trusting.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'naiveness' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Naiveness describes an inexperienced, trusting nature, which fits believing a lie. The other sentences use it in impossible ways.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “naiveness”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
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