Which of the following describes someone who is easily deceived?

The term that best describes someone who is easily deceived is "gullible." This word specifically refers to a person who is overly trusting or naive, often lacking skepticism when faced with persuasive arguments or dubious claims. A gullible individual may accept information at face value and can be misled without much effort.

In contrast, "wily" describes someone who is clever and skilled at trickery or deception, implying a certain cunning nature that is the opposite of being easily deceived. "Meticulous" refers to someone who pays great attention to detail and is very careful, which does not correlate with being easily deceived. "Parochial" describes someone with a narrow or limited outlook, often focused only on local or trivial matters, rather than addressing the concept of deception. Thus, the choice of "gullible" distinctly identifies a characteristic of being easily fooled, making it the correct answer.