adj.
Variant: or na · ïve
Pronunciation: nä- ' ē v, n ī -
Function: adjective
Inflected Form: na · iv · er ; -est
Etymology: French naïve, feminine of naïf, from Old French, inborn, natural, from Latin nativus native
Date: 1654
1 : marked by unaffected simplicity : ARTLESS , INGENUOUS
2 a : deficient in worldly wisdom or informed judgment especially : CREDULOUS b : not previously subjected to experimentation or a particular experimental situation <made the test with naive rats> also : not having previously used a particular drug (as marijuana) c : not having been exposed previously to an antigen < naive T cells>
3 a : SELF-TAUGHT , PRIMITIVE b : produced by or as if by a self-taught artist < naive murals>
synonyms see NATURAL
– na · ive · ly or na · ïve · ly adverb
– na · ive · ness noun