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naive


(also naïve)
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Definition of naive

adjective

  • (of a person or action) showing a lack of experience, wisdom, or judgement:the rather naive young man had been totally misled
  • (of a person) natural and unaffected; innocent:Andy had a sweet, naive look when he smiled
  • of or denoting art produced in a style which deliberately rejects sophisticated artistic techniques and has a bold directness resembling a child’s work, typically in bright colours with little or no perspective.

Derivatives

naively

adverb

naiveness

noun

Origin:

mid 17th century: from French naïve, feminine of naïf, from Latin nativus 'native, natural'

Spelling help

Remember that naive is spelled with -ai- in the middle. It can also be spelled naïve, with two dots over the i, as in the original French.

Spelling tip

she was naive, with an appealing innocence.

naive in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of naive in the US English dictionary
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