Naked or nude? nude or naked?  

There is no difference in the definition of the two words. They both mean without clothes or without covering. Nude is considered slightly less vulgar, though. (I mean vulgar as in "of the common people," not as in a bad word).

In the strict sense they are synonymous - that is, they mean exactly the same thing. However, there is a definite difference in connotation and in usage.

Nude - generally refers to the unclothed human body in a positive light; for example, in art, one refers to painting or sculpting a nude, not a naked portrait, because the emphasis is on the body as beautiful. Nudist colonies use the term nude rather than naked for similar reasons. It's about a usually-hidden good quality being revealed.

Naked - like other posters mentioned, this carries a sense of being exposed and vulnerable (to physical environment or to shame), and gets used in specific idiomatic expressions - the naked eye, a naked truth, etc. For the most part, it seems to connote something being uncovered that *should* be covered.

There's also a social elegance connotation - 'nude' is considered more highbrow, bordering on snobby depending on context. In fact sometimes people will jokingly spell naked as "nekkid" to immitate a backwoods accent.

These are all tendancies, connotations, not hard and fast rules.

Just my humble opinion! Hope that helps!

There's no real difference, other than in perception. Naked is probably more sensational, as in 'the naked truth,' which suggests something very stark and uncompromising. Nude is more 'arty,' as in 'nude photographs, nude paintings.' I tend to use naked, as it just seems to roll off the tongue easier. I think 'nude' is also perceived as an old fashioned word by many people.

Well, from a native speaker's point of view, I would say that 'nude' generally is used to describe something that is naturally unclothed or uncovered. The word 'naked', however, to the best of my knowledge, means something that is bare, but is not normally that way.

Thanks to all responders...found this discussion very informative.