clean hands

American  

noun

1. freedom from guilt, wrongdoing, or dishonesty; innocence; guiltlessness.

   He came out of the bribery investigation triumphantly when it was proved that he had clean hands.

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Etymology

Origin of clean hands

First recorded in 1590–1600

Example Sentences

And one of the fundamental rules of equity, as Sotomayor explains, is that you have to seek it with clean hands.

From Slate • Jun. 24, 2025

Officials say it can be used only to clean hands if it’s completely unheated.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 31, 2025

The rough hands of a slave, the clean hands of a prince, the wrinkled hands of an old man who has seen so much.

From Salon • Dec. 23, 2023

Raffi Ivker, a Jewish student at George Washington University, said he believed neither side "has clean hands."

From Reuters • Oct. 18, 2023

Then he looked down at his clean hands and was momentarily surprised to see the cloth he was holding in them.

From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling

Related Words

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