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guilelessness

guilelessness

1 7.6
A quality of being honest and not trying to trick people
  • noun
  • /ˈɡaɪl.ləs.nəs/
translation icon : ingenuidad
  • " And with his own characteristic guilelessness, Froude described Carlyle's condition at the time of writing the Reminiscences as " so singular" that " he was afterwards unconscious of what he had done; and when ten years later I found the Irving MS. and asked him about it, he did not know to what I was alluding.

Examples

  • The child's guilelessness shone through as he innocently shared his favorite toys.

  • Even as her words lied, however, her voice contained unselfishness and guilelessness.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • But she has a guilelessness that doesn't see the bad in people, said her mom, Bernice.

    Blog text (30)
  • "Noemi smiled at George's guilelessness.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • In the same way, Catherine's guilelessness and inability to detect other people's ulterior motives can be considered an effective social and (in her case) sexual strategy, for these traits make her appear harmless, especially to social superiors who might otherwise suspect her of attempting to encroach on their domain.

    Academic text (2018)
  • Her guilelessness made it easy for others to trust her completely.

  • His guilelessness was refreshing in a world full of deceit and trickery.

Synonyms

honesty
vsguilelessness
365 1.0

Being truthful and fair in what you say and do

highlights innocence of intent in addition to truthful behavior
sincerity
vsguilelessness
71 3.1

A feeling of being honest and not pretending

is more about a simple lack of crafty intent toward others
veracity
vsguilelessness
27 7.6

Being honest and not telling lies

is broader, including lack of trickery and naive goodness
truthfulness
vsguilelessness
13 2.7

Being honest and not telling lies

also implies a trusting, nonmanipulative attitude toward others
candidness
vsguilelessness
1 5.1

An honest and open way of speaking or acting

is closer to overall honest character rather than only direct speech
innocency
vsguilelessness
  • UK
1 9.9

The state of being free from guilt and bad intentions

emphasizes honest motives rather than just absence of wrongdoing
ingenuousness
vsguilelessness
1 8.2

Open and honest without trying to hide anything

is similar but focuses more on not trying to trick anyone
artlessness
vsguilelessness
1 6.8

Being simple and honest without trying to seem clever

adds an ethical element of not intending to mislead people
honestness
vsguilelessness
4.8

Being truthful and fair in what you say and do

adds a sense of harmlessness and not trying to trick others
unvarnished honesty
vsguilelessness
5.5

Very direct and truthful speech that does not soften the facts

is gentler, stressing lack of cunning rather than bluntness

Antonyms

11 7.8

Clever but dishonest way of acting that tricks people

4 5.6

Not showing true feelings when you speak or act

Trying to make other people believe something that is not true

How Deceptive

deceit
66 4.6
innocence
35 3.6
guilelessness
1 7.6
honesty
365 1.0
sincerity
71 3.1

Surface Forms

guilelessness singular

Morphology

guilelessness = guileless (transparent) = guile + less + ness

A clear formation: 'guileless' means 'without guile', so adding '-ness' yields 'the state of being without guile'.

Etymology

Guilelessness comes from guile meaning 'trick' and the ending -less meaning 'without'. Think of a child with an open face and no tricks; that plain honesty is guilelessness, being sincere and not trying to trick others.