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.

Related Words

• honest 
• legitimate 
• pure 
• uninvolved 
• virtuous