noun
1.
a naive or inexperienced person.
adjective
2.
Also, na·if.
Origin:
< Middle French; masculine of naïve
< Middle French; masculine of naïve
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
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Link To naïf
Collins
00:10
Naïf
is always a great word to know.
So is interrobang. Does it mean:
| a printed punctuation mark (‽), available only in some typefaces, designed to combine the question mark (?) and the exclamation point (!), indicating a mixture of query and interjection, as after a rhetorical question. |
| a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison. |
naive, naïve or naïf (naɪˈiːv) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —adj | |
| 1. | a. having or expressing innocence and credulity; ingenuous |
| b. (as collective noun; preceded by the): only the naive believed him | |
| 2. | artless or unsophisticated |
| 3. | lacking developed powers of analysis, reasoning, or criticism: a naive argument |
| 4. | another word for primitive |
| —n | |
| 5. | rare See primitive a person who is naive, esp in artistic style |
| [C17: from French, feminine of naïf, from Old French naif native, spontaneous, from Latin nātīvus | |
| naïve, naïve or naïf | |
| —adj | |
| —n | |
| [C17: from French, feminine of naïf, from Old French naif native, spontaneous, from Latin nātīvus | |
| naïf, naïve or naïf | |
| —adj | |
| —n | |
| [C17: from French, feminine of naïf, from Old French naif native, spontaneous, from Latin nātīvus | |
| na'ively, naïve or naïf | |
| —adv | |
| na'ïvely, naïve or naïf | |
| —adv | |
| na'ïfly, naïve or naïf | |
| —adv | |
| na'iveness, naïve or naïf | |
| —n | |
| na'ïveness, naïve or naïf | |
| —n | |
| na'ïfness, naïve or naïf | |
| —n | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
naif
1598, from Fr. naïf, lit. "naive" (see naive). As a noun, first attested 1893.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences
Faux naif is fine, but you need to know how to do faux.
Whether domestically or internationally, this naif has been a failure.
Nearby Words
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