ingenuous
Adjective
Hard difficulty
What does “ingenuous” mean?
adjective.(of a person or action) innocent and unsuspecting.
SAT Usage
the term is often found in contexts involving character analysis, particularly in discussions of morality or naivety. It emphasizes a lack of guile or deception, suggesting an admirable but potentially vulnerable sincerity, which sets it apart from words like "naive," which may carry a more negative connotation of foolishness.
Common Confusions
Ingenuous implies a pure and honest openness, while naive usually suggests a lack of experience that can lead to foolish decisions.
Do not choose ingenuous if the context emphasizes cleverness or deceit rather than innocence and unsuspecting.
Example Sentences
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Her ingenuous trust in others made her easy to deceive.