Main Entry:: na·ive
Variant(s):: or na·ïve \nä-ˈēv, nī-\
Function:: adjective
Inflected Form(s):: na·iv·er; na·iv·est
Etymology:: French naïve, feminine of naïf, from Old French, inborn, natural, from Latin nativus native
Date:: 1654

1: marked by unaffected simplicity : artless , ingenuous2 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

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