</s> ▁Na iv ety ▁( or ▁na ï v ety ▁or ▁na ï vet é ) ▁is ▁the ▁state ▁of ▁being ▁na ï ve , ▁that ▁is ▁to ▁say , ▁having ▁or ▁showing ▁a ▁lack ▁of ▁experience , ▁or ▁understanding ▁s oph istic ation , ▁often ▁in ▁a ▁context ▁where ▁one ▁neglect s ▁p rag mat ism ▁in ▁favor ▁of ▁moral ▁ideal ism . ▁One ▁who ▁is ▁" na ï ve " ▁may ▁be ▁called ▁a ▁na ï f . ▁ ▁Et ym ology ▁ ▁In ▁early ▁use , ▁the ▁word ▁na ï ve ▁meant ▁" natural ▁or ▁innoc ent ", ▁and ▁did ▁not ▁con note ▁in e pt itude . ▁As ▁a ▁French ▁ad jective , ▁it ▁is ▁sp elled ▁na ï ve ▁or ▁na ï f . ▁French ▁ad ject ives ▁have ▁gram mat ical ▁gender ; ▁na ï f ▁is ▁used ▁with ▁mascul ine ▁n oun s ▁and ▁na ï ve ▁with ▁femin ine ▁n oun s . ▁The ▁French ▁n oun ▁is ▁na ï vet é . ▁ ▁The ▁d ots ▁above ▁the ▁i ▁are ▁a ▁dia er esis ▁( see ▁also ▁ Ï ). ▁As ▁an ▁un ital ic ized ▁English ▁word , ▁" na ive " ▁is ▁now ▁the ▁more ▁usual ▁sp elling , ▁although ▁" na ï ve " ▁is ▁un idi om atic ▁rather ▁than ▁incorrect ; ▁" na ï f " ▁often ▁represents ▁the ▁French ▁mascul ine , ▁but ▁has ▁a ▁secondary ▁meaning ▁as ▁an ▁art istic ▁style . ▁“ Na ï ve ”