ARTLESSNESS

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does artlessness mean? 

• ARTLESSNESS (noun)
  The noun ARTLESSNESS has 2 senses:

1. the quality of innocent naivete

2. ingenuousness by virtue of being free from artful deceit

  Familiarity information: ARTLESSNESS used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ARTLESSNESS (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The quality of innocent naivete

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

artlessness; ingenuousness; innocence; naturalness

Hypernyms ("artlessness" is a kind of...):

naiveness; naivete; naivety (lack of sophistication or worldliness)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "artlessness"):

innocency (an innocent quality or thing or act)

Derivation:

artless (characterized by an inability to mask your feelings; not devious)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Ingenuousness by virtue of being free from artful deceit

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Hypernyms ("artlessness" is a kind of...):

ingenuousness (openly straightforward or frank)

Antonym:

artfulness (the quality of being adroit in taking unfair advantage)

Derivation:

artless (simple and natural; without cunning or deceit)

 Context examples 

She had all the natural grace of sweetness of temper and artlessness in herself.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

It was as if I had seen Dora, in all her fascinating artlessness, caressing Agnes, and thanking her, and coaxingly appealing against me, and loving me with all her childish innocence.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

The vulgar freedom and folly of the eldest left her no recommendation, and as Elinor was not blinded by the beauty, or the shrewd look of the youngest, to her want of real elegance and artlessness, she left the house without any wish of knowing them better.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)