naivety
gb/nˈeɪvti/ us/nˈeɪvti/
C1
English
Senses
0 senses
Noun
C1
property
1
lack of experience and judgment
Being too trusting because you do not know enough yet.
Usage pattern:
[someone]'s naivety (about [something]); the naivety of [someone]
Common mistake:
Often misspelled as *naivity*; also confused with *native*.
Synonyms
innocence (Emphasizes purity and lack of bad intentions, not just lack of experience.)
|
inexperience (Focuses on not having done something before, without implying being easily fooled.)
|
gullibility (More negative; suggests being too ready to believe others.)
|
credulity (More formal; emphasizes believing things too easily.)
Antonyms
sophistication (Having worldly knowledge and social experience.)
|
worldliness (Understanding how people and systems really work.)
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shrewdness (Good practical judgment; hard to deceive.)
|
cynicism (Tending to distrust others’ motives.)
Collocations
youthful naivety
|political naivety
|sheer naivety
|childlike naivety
|endearing naivety
|a touch of naivety
|naivety about money
|naivety about relationships
|naivety shows
|exploit someone’s naivety
Themes
people
|personality
|emotions
|social_life
Examples
- Her naivety about online scams cost her a lot of money.
- I admire his optimism, but his naivety can be a problem in negotiations.
- The film captures the naivety of first love without mocking it.
Learner examples
- My naivety made me trust the wrong person.
- She lost her naivety after moving to the city.
Noun
technical
C1
entity
2
deliberate childlike artistic style
A simple style in art that looks childlike or untrained.
Usage pattern:
the naivety of [a painting/style]; (deliberate) naivety in [art/writing]
Common mistake:
This meaning is about style, not about being easily deceived.
Synonyms
naive style (Direct label for the same artistic effect, often used as an adjective phrase.)
|
folk-art simplicity (Highlights traditional, non-academic simplicity; not always identical.)
Antonyms
realism (A style aiming for lifelike representation and accurate perspective.)
|
sophistication (Complexity and technical refinement in style.)
Collocations
deliberate naivety
|artistic naivety
|visual naivety
|the naivety of the drawings
|naivety of perspective
|studied naivety
|surface naivety
|apparent naivety
|naivety in the brushwork
|naivety of the narration
Themes
art
|literature
|culture
Examples
- The illustrator uses a kind of deliberate naivety to make the story feel intimate.
- Behind the naivety of the painting is careful control of color and composition.
- Critics praised the novel’s surface naivety and the darker ideas underneath.
Learner examples
- The artist chose naivety as a style.
- The painting’s naivety makes it feel warm.
Grammar
Expressions
in a moment of naivety
1/ˈɪn ə mˈoʊmənt əv nˈeɪvti/
fixed phrase
during a brief naive lapse
For a short time, I was too trusting.
Examples
- In a moment of naivety, he sent the money before checking the details.
- She agreed to the deal in a moment of naivety and later regretted it.
- In a moment of naivety, I believed the promise without asking questions.
in all [someone]'s naivety
1/ˈɪn ˈɔl sˈoʊmˈoʊnz nˈeɪvti/
fixed phrase
because someone was naive
Because I/you/he/she/they was naive then.
Examples
- In all my naivety, I thought the contract was just a formality.
- In all her naivety, she assumed everyone would play fair.
- In all their naivety, they shared the password with a stranger.