ingenuousness

I1N1G2E1N1U1O1U1S1N1E1S1S1

noun

The condition of being ingenuous.

Similar
artlessnessinnocencenaturalness
Opposite
disingenuousness
OriginEnglish ingenuous ← Latin ingenuu →
Scrabble 14
Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

nouningenuousness (countable and uncountable, plural ingenuousnesses)

plural ingenuousnesses

  1. countableuncountableThe condition of being ingenuous.
  2. countableAn ingenuous behavior.

    Time passed; Moira grew up, chronologically; but Sir Watney went on treating her as a spoilt child, went on being enchanted by her birdy chirrupings and ingenuousnesses and impertinent enfant-terrible-isms.

    1930, Aldous Huxley, Brief Candles

Synonyms & antonyms

nounthe quality of innocent naivete

Similar
artlessnessinnocencenaturalness
Broader
naivetenaivetynaiveness

nounopenly straightforward or frank

Opposite
disingenuousness
Broader
candorcandourcandidness
Also see
artlessnessinnocencenaturalness

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latiningenuu
  2. Englishingenuous
  3. Englishingenuousness

From ingenuous + -ness.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

French ingénuité
  • ingénuitéthe condition of being ingenuous
Portuguese ingenuidade
  • ingenuidadethe condition of being ingenuous
Cite this entry
APA

ingenuousness. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ingenuousness

MLA

“ingenuousness.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ingenuousness. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ingenuousness,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ingenuousness.

Source: ingenuousness on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.