naively

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In Brontë’s book, Isabella marries Heathcliff naively believing he might shape up into a gentleman and flees with their son when she realizes that is out of the question.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 13, 2026

That means that even if the Fed delivers multiple rate cuts this year, the labor market may not benefit as much as some might be naively counting on.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 7, 2026

Firstly, they had, perhaps naively, imagined that the briefings would generate some news, but not wall-to-wall headline news.

From BBC • Nov. 13, 2025

Their boutique launch caps a whirlwind year that started with both Gaston and Cooney planning—perhaps naively, they said—to continue working at the Justice Department during the second Trump presidency.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 22, 2025

I naively assumed that war occurred in far-off places with hard to pronounce names, not in Long Beach.

From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers