innocent
[in-uh-suh nt]
- free from moral wrong; without sin; pure: innocent children.
- free from legal or specific wrong; guiltless: innocent of the crime.
- not involving evil intent or motive: an innocent misrepresentation.
- not causing physical or moral injury; harmless: innocent fun.
- devoid (usually followed by of): a law innocent of merit.
- having or showing the simplicity or naiveté of an unworldly person; guileless; ingenuous.
- uninformed or unaware; ignorant.
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- an innocent person.
- a young child.
- a guileless person.
- a simpleton or idiot.
- Usually innocents. (used with a singular verb) bluet(def 1).
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Origin of innocent
Synonyms
See more synonyms for innocent on Thesaurus.com1. sinless, virtuous; faultless, impeccable, spotless, immaculate. 2. 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. 6. simple, naive, unsophisticated, artless.
Antonyms
1, 2. guilty.
Innocent I
[in-uh-suh nt]
- Saint,died a.d. 417, Italian ecclesiastic: pope 401–417.
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Innocent II
- Gregorio Papareschi, died 1143, Italian ecclesiastic: pope 1130–43.
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Innocent III
- Giovanni Lotario de' Conti, 1161?–1216, Italian ecclesiastic: pope 1198–1216.
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Innocent IV
- Sinbaldo de Fieschi, c1180–1254, Italian ecclesiastic: pope 1243–54.
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Innocent V
- Pierre de Tarentaise, c1225–76, French ecclesiastic: pope 1276.
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Innocent VI
- Étienne Aubert, died 1362, French jurist and ecclesiastic: pope 1352–62.
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Innocent VII
- Cosimo de' Migliorati, 1336–1406, Italian ecclesiastic: pope 1404–06.
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Innocent VIII
- Giovanni Battista Cibò, 1432–92, Italian ecclesiastic: pope 1484–92.
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Innocent IX
- Giovanni Antonio Facchinetti, 1519–91, Italian ecclesiastic: pope 1591.
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Innocent X
- Giambattista Pamfili, 1574–1655, Italian ecclesiastic: pope 1644–55.
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Innocent XI
- Benedetto Odescalchi, 1611–89, Italian ecclesiastic: pope 1676–89.
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Innocent XII
- Antonio Pignatelli, 1615–1700, Italian ecclesiastic: pope 1691–1700.
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Innocent XIII
- Michelangelo Conti, 1655–1724, Italian ecclesiastic: pope 1721–24.
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Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for innocent
Contemporary Examples
There is just no way of selling this picture with an innocent defense like, “she just asked for a snap.”
Denied parole nine straight times, he insists he is innocent of the crime for which he was convicted.
Koenig must know by now that second to knowing if Adnan is innocent, we want to know if she thinks Adnan is innocent.
Adnan Killed Her! No, Jay Did It! Serial’s Uncertain, True-to-Reality EndEmily Shire
December 18, 2014
“They are innocent of the charges leveled against them,” a statement issued by Farmer, who also represents the accused, said.
Random House is also covering the legal fees of an innocent man called Barry who was caught up in the storm.
Historical Examples
Emilia looked as innocent as when Hope had tended her in the cradle.
MalboneThomas Wentworth Higginson
How will every look, every action, even the most innocent, be liable to misconstruction!
Clarissa, Volume 1 (of 9)Samuel Richardson
See what grave reflections an innocent subject will produce!
Clarissa, Volume 1 (of 9)Samuel Richardson
But she is young and innocent, and her heart is her own yet.
VivietteWilliam J. Locke
It don't do 'em any good, but just the same they all swear they're innocent.
Within the LawMarvin Dana
innocent
- not corrupted or tainted with evil or unpleasant emotion; sinless; pure
- not guilty of a particular crime; blameless
- (postpositive foll by of) free (of); lackinginnocent of all knowledge of history
- harmless or innocuousan innocent game
- not cancerousan innocent tumour
- credulous, naive, or artless
- simple-minded; slow-witted
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- an innocent person, esp a young child or an ingenuous adult
- a simple-minded person; simpleton
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Innocent II
- original name Gregorio Papareschi. died 1143, pope (1130–43). He condemned Abelard's teachings
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Innocent III
- original name Giovanni Lotario de' Conti. ?1161–1216, pope (1198–1216), under whom the temporal power of the papacy reached its height. He instituted the Fourth Crusade (1202) and a crusade against the Albigenses (1208), and called the fourth Lateran Council (1215)
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Innocent IV
- original name Sinibaldo de' Fieschi. died 1254, pope (1243–54); an unrelenting enemy of Emperor Frederick II and his heirs
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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for innocent
adj.
mid-14c., "doing no evil, free from sin or guilt," from Old French inocent "harmless; not guilty; pure" (11c.), from Latin innocentem (nominative innocens) "not guilty, harmless, blameless," from in- "not" (see in- (1)) + nocentem (nominative nocens), present participle of nocere "to harm" (see noxious). Meaning "free from guilt of a specific crime or charge" is from late 14c. The earliest use was as a noun, "person who is innocent of sin or evil" (c.1200). The Holy Innocents (early 14c.) were the young children slain by Herod sfter the birth of Jesus (Matt. ii:16).
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
innocent
(ĭn′ə-sənt)- Not apparently harmful; benign.
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The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.