ingénue
UK: /ˈæn.ʒə.nuː/ | US: /ˌæn.ʒeɪˈnuː/
n. 1. A naive, innocent young woman, especially in theatrical or literary contexts.
n. 2. An actress who specializes in playing innocent or artless characters.
ingénue = in<not> + gén<born> + ue<feminine suffix>
- in (Latin: "not") → Negation prefix.
- gén (French: from Latin genitus, "born") → Root implying innate qualities.
- ue (French feminine suffix) → Denotes gender and noun form.
Etymology Origin:
Borrowed directly from French ingénue (feminine of ingénu, meaning "ingenuous"), the word traces back to Latin ingenuus ("freeborn, noble, honest"). Originally describing someone of upright character, it evolved in 19th-century theater to denote innocent female roles, reflecting societal ideals of purity. The morphemes subtly contrast innate virtue (gén) with lack of artifice (in-).
The actress played the ingénue so convincingly that audiences believed she was truly naive.
Classic Hollywood films often paired a worldly male lead with a wide-eyed ingénue.
Her ingénue charm made her perfect for the role of the village maiden.
Critics praised her transition from ingénue roles to more complex characters.
The novel’s ingénue undergoes a dramatic transformation after facing betrayal.