innocent

[in-uh-suhnt]

adjective

1. free from moral wrong; without sin; pure.

   innocent children.

   Synonyms: immaculate, spotless, impeccable, faultless, virtuous, sinless
   Antonyms: guilty

2. free from legal or specific wrong; guiltless.

   innocent of the crime.

   Antonyms: guilty

3. not involving evil intent or motive.

   an innocent misrepresentation.

4. not causing physical or moral injury; harmless.

   innocent fun.

5. devoid (usually followed byof ).

   a law innocent of merit.

6. having or showing the simplicity or naiveté of an unworldly person; guileless; ingenuous.

   Synonyms: artless, unsophisticated, naive, simple

7. uninformed or unaware; ignorant.

noun

1. an innocent person.

2. a young child.

3. a guileless person.

4. a simpleton or idiot.

5. (used with a singular verb),  Usually innocents. bluet.

innocent

/ ˈɪnəsənt /

adjective

1. not corrupted or tainted with evil or unpleasant emotion; sinless; pure

2. not guilty of a particular crime; blameless

3. free (of); lacking

   innocent of all knowledge of history

4. 1. harmless or innocuous

      an innocent game

   2. not cancerous

      an innocent tumour

5. credulous, naive, or artless

6. simple-minded; slow-witted

noun

1. an innocent person, esp a young child or an ingenuous adult

2. a simple-minded person; simpleton

Other Word Forms

• innocently adverb
• quasi-innocent adjective
• quasi-innocently adverb
• superinnocent adjective
• superinnocently adverb
• uninnocent adjective
• uninnocently adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of innocent¹

First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English, from Latin innocent- (stem of innocēns ) “harmless,” equivalent to in- in- ³ + nocēns present participle of nocēre “to harm”; -ent; noxious

Synonym Study

Innocent, blameless, guiltless imply freedom from the responsibility of having done wrong. Innocent may imply having done no wrong at any time, and having not even a knowledge of evil: an innocent victim. Blameless denotes freedom from blame, especially moral blame: a blameless life. Guiltless denotes freedom from guilt or responsibility for wrongdoing, usually in a particular instance: guiltless of a crime.

Example Sentences

Their family maintains they are innocent and are being held in "horrific conditions".

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"An innocent cyclist has paid for that misjudgement with her life."

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Bondi likely knows harassing innocent people isn’t quite enough to please her mercurial boss, thus her ridiculous performance in front of the Senate last Tuesday.

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The pope also spoke of his "sorrow" following the news of "new, violent attacks that have hit several cities and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, causing the deaths of innocent people, including children".

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He said the gang members "possessed weapons, such as the Skorpion, that have been used to kill innocent people in Merseyside".

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Related Words

• honest 
• legitimate 
• pure 
• uninvolved 
• virtuous