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Added 10 October 2026

ingenue

/ˈɑnʒənu/ noun

Latin root: ingenuus Wiktionary

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about ingenue at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

An innocent, unsophisticated, naïve, wholesome girl or young woman.
A dramatic role of such a woman; an actress playing such a role.
Misspelling of ingenu.

Origin

Borrowed from French ingénue, the feminine form of ingénu (“guileless”), originally from the Latin ingenuus (“ingenuous”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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