as in naturalness
the quality or state of being simple and sincere
the small-town boy's guilelessness is endearing, but it may not serve him well in the ruthless big city
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Recent Examples of guilelessness
Young Swift possessed a kind of guilelessness, but the thirty-six-year-old version has seen things, felt things, been hurt.
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Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 4 Jan. 2026
But there’s a guilelessness to everything Bella does, a trust in the universe and an insatiable curiosity about humanity.
—Katie Rife, Vulture, 9 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for guilelessness
Noun
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The Windsor family often shares moments during this time of year that reflect their warmth and naturalness.—
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Frogposting, then, pits the intractably byzantine, soulless and cutthroat nature of the contemporary economy in a simple binary against what the posters envision as the green, healthy, naturalness of the Earth—framed as a joke, the base unit of online commentary.—
Noun
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But none of Wardlaw's newfound claims of innocence matter.—
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Gary Washington spent more than 30 years in prison and always maintained his innocence.—
Noun
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Behind the classy presentation is a working-class spirit, one that honors the simplicity of showing up, being yourself and doing your job.—
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The rover’s two-wheel design reflects UEL’s emphasis on surface mobility and system simplicity.—
Noun
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Know that conversations deserve deep sincerity.—
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Part of what comes to me, Roxana, is my sincerity and my earnestness.—
Noun
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Gilbert’s colloquial style, once a source of great pleasure, has tipped into new territory—an ingenuousness that blends guru and disciple, mother and child.—
Cite this Entry
“Guilelessness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/guilelessness. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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