Guileless

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈɡaɪl.ləs/

Definitions

1. Characterized by an absence of deceit, this term describes someone who is open and innocent, showing no signs of slyness or deceitful intentions
2. Defined as being straightforward and free from cunning, a person embodying this trait is sincere in their actions and devoid of manipulation or craftiness
3. Having a nature that is free from deception, this quality signifies an individual who is honest and naive, lacking any craftiness or clever deceit

Etymology: Guileless is a plain compound: "guile" with the suffix "-less" attached. The "-less" element has a long pedigree of its own. It goes back through Old English "-lēas", meaning "free from" or "lacking," which is the same root as the adjective "loose" and the verb "lose." So at its core, the word describes someone who is free of guile, lacking any deceit or cunning. "Guile" is the older half of the pair, and its roots run deep. It traces back to a Proto-Germanic word, "leusanąn" in the reconstructed form, that is linked to the idea of being separated or cut off, and the modern English sense of "craft" or "deceit" grew out of that base. The suffix and the noun therefore share a common ancestry in the idea of losing something or being without it, and "guileless" literally means being without the lost, cunning part of one's character.

Synonyms: naive, innocent, trusting, unwary, simple

Antonyms: cunning, deceitful, sly, crafty, wily