ingenuidad

naivety

noun een-heh-noo-ee-DAHD Rare

Usage Note

Ingenuidad is the quality of being naive, innocent, or candid — without guile or worldly experience. It can be used warmly (la ingenuidad de un niño = a child's innocence) or critically (¡qué ingenuidad! = how naive!). The adjective is ingenuo / ingenua. Beware: the English cognate 'ingenuity' means cleverness, which is almost the opposite — in Spanish that would be ingenio.

Examples

"Su ingenuidad le costó caro en los negocios."

Natural Translation

His naivety cost him dearly in business.

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