innocence
Americannoun
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the quality or state of being innocent; freedom from sin or moral wrong.
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freedom from legal or specific wrong; guiltlessness.
The prisoner proved his innocence.
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simplicity; absence of guile or cunning; naiveté.
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lack of knowledge or understanding.
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harmlessness; innocuousness.
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an innocent person or thing.
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of innocence
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English word from Latin word innocentia. See innocent, -ence
Explanation
Innocence means you’ve done nothing wrong. You’ve broken no laws, committed no sins, and are not guilty of any morally evil act. Well done. In a courtroom, a defendant might announce their innocence, claiming they did not commit whatever crime they’re accused of. Innocence is very important in many religions, where your moral purity decides what happens to your soul after you die. The word comes from the Latin innocentia, which means “not harming” and someone with innocence will not harm themselves or others, at least not on purpose. Remember that there are no ss in innocence, so spell it with two cs.
Vocabulary lists containing innocence
"Marigolds"
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Bronx Masquerade
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The New York production of "Innocence" marks its second run at an American opera house after performances by the San Francisco Opera in June 2024.
From Barron's • Apr. 5, 2026
Act of Innocence, ridden by Nico de Boinville, followed up in second.
From BBC • Mar. 11, 2026
Congress also passed the so-called Fiscal Innocence bill—an amnesty measure to encourage Argentines to put undeclared cash back into the bank without suffering penalties for tax evasion.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 27, 2025
“Leader Steve Scalise has promised me that my bill Protect Children’s Innocence Act, H.R. 3492, will be brought to the floor for a vote next Wednesday, Dec 17th,” she wrote on X last week.
From Salon • Dec. 16, 2025
It showed how many people the Innocence Project helped get out of prison, which was in the hundreds.
From "From the Desk of Zoe Washington" by Janae Marks
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
