Naive
/nɑːˈiːv/noun
Lacking experience, wisdom, or judgment; innocent or unsophisticated.
Did you know?Naive comes through French from Latin nativus, meaning “born” or “natural,” so the word originally had more to do with being unformed by experience than being foolish.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
nativus
“born; natural; arising by birth”
Old French
Old French
naif
“natural; simple; artless”
Middle English
English
naive
“natural; unaffected; lacking artifice”
Modern English
English
naive
“lacking experience, wisdom, or judgment”