Ingenuous

Adjective

Definition: Innocent; artless; candid; frank.

Definition: Showing childlike simplicity and lack of guile.

Synonyms: Naive, Young, Artless, Frank, Honest, Sincere

Antonyms: Cunning, Deceitful, Dishonest

Examples:
  • Her ingenuous remarks showed her lack of experience in the corporate world.
  • The ingenuous smile on the child's face melted everyone's hearts.
Mnemonics:
  • Imagine a young child being honest and sincere in their interactions, embodying the qualities of being ingenuous.
  • Think of "innocent genius" - someone who is intellectually brilliant but also innocent and naive.

Etymology:

Origin:

From Latin "ingenuus" meaning "of freeborn birth" or "noble, honorable, frank, candid".

Historical Usage:

The word has been used in English since the 16th century, often referring to someone with qualities of innocence and simplicity.

Related Idioms:

Idiom:

"Wearing one's heart on one's sleeve"

Explanation:

Used to describe someone who is openly and honestly expressing their emotions, without any pretense or deception. This phrase is often associated with being ingenuous.

Misconceptions:

Misconception:

Confusing "ingenuous" with "ingenious".

Explanation:

"Ingenuous" refers to someone who is innocent and honest, while "ingenious" refers to someone who is clever or inventive. These two words have different meanings and should not be used interchangeably.

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