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HOW TO PRONOUNCE

naive

/naɪˈiv/

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American Pronunciation Guide · 0:57
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What does naive mean?

adjective

  1. Lacking worldly experience, wisdom, or judgement; unsophisticated.
  2. Not having been exposed to something.
  3. Produced in a simple, childlike style, deliberately rejecting sophisticated techniques.
More meanings (2)

adjective

  1. Intuitive; designed to follow the way ordinary people approach a problem.

noun

  1. A naive person; a greenhorn.

Definitions regrouped for readability · CC BY-SA 4.0

IPA pronunciation

/naɪˈiv/

Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0

Other dictionary pronunciations

/nɑˈiv/
Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0

Pronunciation varies by speaker and region. About these dictionary pronunciations.

In the pages of books

See this word in context.

"Don't you think it will be rather interesting to get a naive young girl's reactions toward the problems of our tranquil existence?"
Christopher MorleyThe Haunted BookshopProject Gutenberg ebook #172
Lena’s candid eyes, that always looked a little sleepy under their long lashes, kept straying about the cheerful rooms with naive admiration.
Willa CatherMy ÁntoniaProject Gutenberg ebook #242
More book examples (3)
On one occasion Miss Anthony had the doubtful pleasure of reading her own obituary notices, and her interest in them was characteristically naive.
Anna Howard Shaw; Elizabeth Garver JordanThe Story of a PioneerProject Gutenberg ebook #354
It is of course in the more naive cults that this suffusion of pecuniary beauty is most patent, but it is visible throughout.
Thorstein VeblenThe Theory of the Leisure ClassProject Gutenberg ebook #833
When men claiming such credentials come along, they deceive not only the naive, but also those who seemingly are well-established in the faith.
Martin LutherCommentary on the Epistle to the GalatiansTranslated by Theodore GraebnerProject Gutenberg ebook #1549