[SteveC]

I am looking for a word that does not exist, at least in the way that I want it to. Maybe my vocabulary is too small, and it does exist. So please help me out.

What I want to describe is "the state of believing something that is not true."

There are some words that are close, like "mistaken" or "delusional." But mistaken is too matter of fact, like a mistake on a math problem, and delusional is somewhat mean-spirited. I want something in between the two. Like, a child who believes in Santa Claus is "[fill in the blank]" but I want it for adults.

Other similar words might be brain-washed, confused, ignorant, innocent, unaware, inexperienced, non-discerning, inexperienced. There are also predatory situations like bilko, fraud, etc., where people are being taken advantage of, but those words tend to describe the predator or the situation more than the state of being.

Again, in this state of being that I want to describe, people believe what is not true. For example, alchemists thinking they could turn lead into gold were "[fill in the blank]"

Any ideas, suggestions, or make up your own word!

[alcimedes]

Naive

[SteveC]

That's good, but it has the connotation of innocence or inexperience (like in the Santa Claus example,) whereas I want a more adult version. I should have included that word on my list. Thanks for reminding me! Naive is very close, but it doesn't quite get to the nut of believing what isn't true.

What I am looking for is more along the lines of a false assumption, a guess or like following a map where you have yourself on the wrong coordinates. The map isn't necessarily wrong, but where you think yourself to be located is incorrect.

There must be a word that captures what I mean.

naive |nīˈēv| (also naïve)
adjective
(of a person or action) showing a lack of experience, wisdom, or judgment : the rather naive young man had been totally misled.
• (of a person) natural and unaffected; innocent : Andy had a sweet, naive look when he smiled.
• of or denoting art produced in a straightforward style that deliberately rejects sophisticated artistic techniques and has a bold directness resembling a child's work, typically in bright colors with little or no perspective.

[Luca]

I don't see how it's different if you're talking about an adult rather than a child. Adults believe in God, kids believe in Santa Claus. Same thing. I think naive is just what you're looking for.

Naive doesn't just mean inexperienced, either, it could also refer to someone who should (and, deep down, probably does) know better, but chooses to believe something incorrect anyway.

[FFL]

Sounds like naive with a side order of gullible will do the trick.

[SteveC]

Gullible is good, but that is still based on somebody tricking somebody else. I am thinking broader, as in a cultural sense.

For example, everyone believed in monarchy, and that royalty were "better" than everyone else because of their blood-line or talked to God, etc. What I am looking for is more of a cultural assumption. In retrospect, monarchy may seem naive or gullible to us, but for them it was "real."

Some nations still have royalty, so they still accept that "thing" that other people don't accept. They may think having presidents is naive and gullible.

Gullible is a good word, but still not what I'm looking for. It's not neutral enough.

[FFL]

clueless?
in la-la land?
in coventry?

[murbot]

christian?

[SteveC]

Why Coventry?

Coventry |ˈkəvəntrē; ˈkäv-|
1 an industrial city in central England; pop. 292,600.
2 a city in central Rhode Island, a southwestern suburb of Providence; pop. 33,668.

Christian won't work. A Christian and an atheist would both describe the other using this word though.

Maybe mismagination

maldoctrinated

misdisposition

overbelieve

gulsumption

malation from illation

Maybe the closest word is fallacy, but I want something stronger and more grand in scale, and a little more personal.

fallacy |ˈfaləsē|
noun ( pl. -cies)
a mistaken belief, esp. one based on unsound argument : the notion that the camera never lies is a fallacy.
• Logic a failure in reasoning that renders an argument invalid.
• faulty reasoning; misleading or unsound argument :

[SteveC]

Is Commonsense a fallacy? :-)