n.
Variant: or in · gé · nue
Pronunciation: ' an-j ə - ˌ nü, ' än-; ' a n -zh ə -, ' ä n -
Function: noun
Etymology: French ingénue, feminine of ingénu ingenuous, from Latin ingenuus
Date: 1848
1 : a naive girl or young woman
2 : the stage role of an ingenue also : an actress playing such a role