I. adjective
also na·ive (ˈ)nä|ēv, (ˈ)nȧ|-, (ˈ)nī|-
( sometimes -er/-est )
Etymology: French naïve, feminine of naïf, from Old French naif inborn, native, natural, from Latin nativus native — more at native
1. : marked by simplicity, ingenuousness, artlessness:
a. : showing candor, freshness, and spontaneity unchecked by convention, social diffidence, or guile
when the experienced man speaks simply and wisely to the naïve girl — Gilbert Highet
b. : showing lack of worldly experience : innocent , simple
their naïve ignorance of life, hers and his, when they were first married — Arnold Bennett
the same naïve belief in an anthropomorphic Creator — H.L.Mencken
the naïvest person imaginable
c. : unsuspecting, credulous, and unwary about duplicity or distortion
the work exhibits a naïve acceptance of every kind of miracle — H.O.Taylor
2. : marked by lack of instruction, experience, perception, learning : exhibiting lack of analysis, subtlety, or depth by ready acceptance without consideration : unphilosophic
a little naïve to suppose that when really vital differences emerge, one nation or another is likely to abandon its position on the first interchange of views — J.F.Byrnes
Synonyms: see natural
II. noun
also naive “
( -s )
: a naïve person
III. adjective
or naive
1.
a. : not previously subjected to experimentation or to a particular experimental situation
experimentally naïve rats
b. : not having previously used a particular drug (as marijuana)
c. : not having been exposed previously to an antigen
naïve T cells
2.
a. : primitive 4d(1)
b. : produced by or as if by a self-taught artist
naïve murals