innocent en · ADJ
Pronunciation
Etymology
From Middle English innocent, from Old French innocent, inocent, borrowed from Latin innocēns (“harmless, inoffensive”), from in- (“not”) + nocēns, present participle of noceō (“to hurt”). By surface analysis, in- (“not”) + nocent (“harmful; guilty”). Displaced native Old English unsċyldiġ.
Meanings
-
Free from guilt, sin, or immorality.
I'm sure there's an innocent explanation for all this.
The situation certainly looked bad, but it turned out that everything was innocent.
2018 September 26, Brian Karem, "Bethesda Resident Describes "Culture Of Privilege" Leading To Exploitation And Abuse" in The Montgomery County Sentinelhttps://web.archive.org/web/20180927140428/https://mont.thesentinel.com/2018/09/26/bethesda-resident-describes-culture-of-privilege-leading-to-sexual-assault/ "These were not innocent times," she said.
to offer up a weak, poor, innocent lamb to appease an angry god
c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iii], line 16:
- Bearing no legal responsibility for a wrongful act.
-
Without wrongful intent; accidental or in good faith.
He didn't mean anything by it; it was an innocent mistake.
The child's innocent question revealed the embarrassing truth in front of everyone.
-
Naive; artless.
I can find out no rhyme to / 'lady' but 'baby' – an innocent rhyme;
c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, scene v], page ii, line 37:
-
(qualifier:obsolete except medicine) Not harmful; innocuous; harmless; benign.
The spear / Sung innocent, and spent its force in air.
1715–1720, Homer, “Book XXII”, in Alexander Pope, transl., The Iliad of Homer, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: […] W[illiam] Bowyer, for Bernard Lintott […], →OCLC:Although an innocent murmur is not an obstacle to participation in sports and exercise, a pathologic murmur may necessitate restrictions on the child's physical activity.
2006, David J. Driscoll, Fundamentals of Pediatric Cardiology, page 43:
-
(with-of) Lacking (something), or knowledge of it.
At the beginning of July Stafford station was innocent of buildings, except for a couple of coach bodies to house the staff, but the temporary accommodation to cover the period of building the new station was well on the way to completion.
1960 September, “Talking of Trains: Progress at Stafford”, in Trains Illustrated, page 522:Her only slight comfort is that they are not as bad as the new litter of Awful children who resulted from this marriage, Lisa, Adam, Jason, and Kristen. By all reports, they are entirely innocent of manners of any kind.
1983, Judith Martin, Miss Manners' Guide to Excruciatingly Correct Behavior, page xvii:George was not a believer in modern innovations. The Abbey was innocent of anything so up to date as central heating.
1929, Agatha Christie, chapter 17, in The Seven Dials Mystery:
-
Lawful; permitted.
an innocent trade
-
Not contraband; not subject to forfeiture.
innocent goods carried to a belligerent nation
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| most innocent | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| more innocent | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| hinnocent | alternative | lexicographic |
Antonyms
blameworthy · guilty · perverse · nocent · nocent · guilty
Deriveds
innocent as the child unborn · innocent passage · innocent agent · pseudoinnocent · noninnocent · innocent as the babe unborn · innocent as a lamb · uninnocent · innocentness · innocent bystander · innocent as a newborn babe
Relateds
innocence · innocuous · praiseworthy · innocently
Synonyms
sackless · childlike · born yesterday · unsophisticated · ingenuous · simple-hearted · blameless · virgin · offenseless · Panglossic · unblameable · immature · credulous · dovelike · unworldly · foppotee · callow · innocent · innocent · sinless · not guilty · clueless · verdant · pure · unblameworthy · blameless · untainted · clear · unworldly · fleeceable · Panglossian · ingenuous · dewy-eyed · irreprehensible · clean as a whistle · righteous · guiltless · untested · simple · innocent as the child unborn · artless · unguilty · unpretentious · uncalculating · clean · guileless · cute · clean as a hound's tooth · quaint · starry-eyed · simple-minded · guiltless · wide-eyed · wet behind the ears · green · undesigning · unaffected · nonblameworthy · sackless · pure · jejune · clean-handed · innocent as the babe unborn
Translations (178)
nn uskuldig (not legally responsible for a wrongful act) · lb onschëlleg (not legally responsible for a wrongful act) · mk невин (not legally responsible for a wrongful act) · eo senkulpa (not legally responsible for a wrongful act) · ko 순진하다 (pure, free from sin, untainted) · be бязві́нны (pure, free from sin, untainted) · sa निर्दोष (pure, free from sin, untainted) · pt inocente (pure, free from sin, untainted) · ota كناهسز (pure, free from sin, untainted) · mnc ᠰᡠᡳ ᠠᡴᡡ (not legally responsible for a wrongful act) · hi मासूम (not legally responsible for a wrongful act) · hu ártatlan (pure, free from sin, untainted) · uk неви́нний (not legally responsible for a wrongful act) · grc ἀθῷος (not legally responsible for a wrongful act) · gl inocente (pure, free from sin, untainted) · th บริสุทธิ์ (pure, free from sin, untainted) · ca innocent (harmless in intent) · fi harmiton (naive, artless) · ru невино́вный (not legally responsible for a wrongful act) · la innocēns (pure, free from sin, untainted) · el αθώος (pure, free from sin, untainted) · ja 無邪気な (naive, artless) · bg неви́нен (not legally responsible for a wrongful act) · ky айыпсыз (pure, free from sin, untainted) · ru невинова́тый (not legally responsible for a wrongful act) · ru неви́нный (pure, free from sin, untainted) · bg неви́нен (pure, free from sin, untainted) · fa بیگناه (pure, free from sin, untainted) · mi harakore (pure, free from sin, untainted) · hy անմեղ (naive, artless) · ko 무죄인 (not legally responsible for a wrongful act) · fa بیگناه (not legally responsible for a wrongful act) · de unschuldig (not legally responsible for a wrongful act) · es inocente (pure, free from sin, untainted) · da uskyldig (not legally responsible for a wrongful act) · he תָּמִים (pure, free from sin, untainted) · cy diniwed (harmless in intent) · uk безви́нний (pure, free from sin, untainted) · sl nedolžen (not legally responsible for a wrongful act) · cs nevinný (not legally responsible for a wrongful act) · la innocēns (not legally responsible for a wrongful act) · ar بَرِيء (pure, free from sin, untainted) · be няві́нны (pure, free from sin, untainted) · gl inocente (naive, artless) · grc ἀβλαβής (harmless in intent) · uk невинува́тий (not legally responsible for a wrongful act) · ang saclēas (not legally responsible for a wrongful act) · am ንጹሐን (pure, free from sin, untainted) · bg наивен (naive, artless) · sh невин (pure, free from sin, untainted) · sh невин (not legally responsible for a wrongful act) · ga soineanta (naive, artless) · hi निर्दोष (not legally responsible for a wrongful act) · sl nedolžen (pure, free from sin, untainted) · ja 無邪気な (pure, free from sin, untainted) · pt inocente (harmless in intent) · fr innocent (not legally responsible for a wrongful act) · tr masum (pure, free from sin, untainted) · tr suçsuz (not legally responsible for a wrongful act) · az günahsız (pure, free from sin, untainted) · cmn 天真 (naive, artless) · ga neamhchiontach (not legally responsible for a wrongful act) · ang unsċyldiġ (not legally responsible for a wrongful act) · ja お人好しな (naive, artless) · he לא אשם (not legally responsible for a wrongful act) · ca innocent (naive, artless) · de unschuldig (pure, free from sin, untainted) · ja 無罪な (not legally responsible for a wrongful act) · ang unsċyldiġ (pure, free from sin, untainted) · cmn 無罪 /无罪 (not legally responsible for a wrongful act) · ro inocent (pure, free from sin, untainted) · yi אומשולדיק (not legally responsible for a wrongful act) · mn гэм буруугүй (not legally responsible for a wrongful act) · az günahsız (not legally responsible for a wrongful act) · el αθώος (naive, artless) · mn гэмгүй (pure, free from sin, untainted) · is saklaus (not legally responsible for a wrongful act) · mr निर्दोष (pure, free from sin, untainted) · ur نردوش (pure, free from sin, untainted) · hu ártatlan (naive, artless) · eo senpeka (pure, free from sin, untainted) · az məsum (naive, artless) · bn মাসুম (pure, free from sin, untainted) · be няві́нны (not legally responsible for a wrongful act) · fi naiivi (naive, artless) · hy անմեղ (pure, free from sin, untainted) · es inocente (not legally responsible for a wrongful act) · ky күнөөсүз (pure, free from sin, untainted) · pt inocente (not legally responsible for a wrongful act) · he חף מפשע (not legally responsible for a wrongful act) · cs nevinný (pure, free from sin, untainted) · gl inocente (harmless in intent) · fi harmiton (harmless in intent) · wa enocin (not legally responsible for a wrongful act) · ca innocent (pure, free from sin, untainted) · ang unsċaþful (pure, free from sin, untainted) · ota صوچسز (not legally responsible for a wrongful act) · sh недужан (not legally responsible for a wrongful act) · es inocente (naive, artless) · pl niewinny (not legally responsible for a wrongful act) · tr suçsuz (pure, free from sin, untainted) · pl niewinny (naive, artless) · ar بَرِيء (naive, artless) · ota كناهسز (not legally responsible for a wrongful act) · mk невин (pure, free from sin, untainted) · et süütu (pure, free from sin, untainted) · az təqsirsiz (not legally responsible for a wrongful act) · he חף מפשע (pure, free from sin, untainted) · lv nevainīgs (pure, free from sin, untainted) · sk nevinný (not legally responsible for a wrongful act) · no uskyldig (not legally responsible for a wrongful act) · ky кылмышсыз (not legally responsible for a wrongful act) · uk неви́нний (pure, free from sin, untainted) · it innocente (not legally responsible for a wrongful act) · vi trong sạch (pure, free from sin, untainted) · cy diniwed (pure, free from sin, untainted) · ru неви́нный (harmless in intent) · ar بَرِيء (not legally responsible for a wrongful act) · gl inocente (not legally responsible for a wrongful act) · ca innocent (not legally responsible for a wrongful act) · is ámælislaus (not legally responsible for a wrongful act) · fi syytön (not legally responsible for a wrongful act) · pt inocente (naive, artless) · ar بَرِيئَة (not legally responsible for a wrongful act) · az məsum (pure, free from sin, untainted) · sh nevin (not legally responsible for a wrongful act) · nl onschuldig (not legally responsible for a wrongful act) · wa enocin (naive, artless) · tl walang-sala (pure, free from sin, untainted) · be невінава́ты (not legally responsible for a wrongful act) · bg доброкачествен (harmless in intent) · bg простодушен (naive, artless) · pl naiwny (naive, artless) · vi vô tội (not legally responsible for a wrongful act) · sk nevinný (pure, free from sin, untainted) · lv nevainīgs (not legally responsible for a wrongful act) · sv oskyldig (not legally responsible for a wrongful act) · cmn 無辜 /无辜 (not legally responsible for a wrongful act) · nn uskyldig (not legally responsible for a wrongful act) · wa enocin (harmless in intent) · non saklauss (not legally responsible for a wrongful act) · ru безви́нный (naive, artless) · pdt oschuldich (naive, artless) · sh nevin (pure, free from sin, untainted) · ota ضررسز (harmless in intent) · hi निर्दोष (pure, free from sin, untainted) · fi viaton (naive, artless) · fr innocent (pure, free from sin, untainted) · nl onschuldig (pure, free from sin, untainted) · ota زیانسز (harmless in intent) · cmn 無猜 /无猜 (pure, free from sin, untainted) · eu errugabe (not legally responsible for a wrongful act) · bg безвреден (harmless in intent) · de rein (pure, free from sin, untainted) · te నిర్దోషి (pure, free from sin, untainted) · az məsum (harmless in intent) · pl niewinny (pure, free from sin, untainted) · ru безви́нный (pure, free from sin, untainted) · fi viaton (harmless in intent) · ar بَرِيئَة (pure, free from sin, untainted) · bn নির্দোষ (pure, free from sin, untainted) · hu ártatlan (not legally responsible for a wrongful act) · el αθώος (not legally responsible for a wrongful act) · ur معصوم (not legally responsible for a wrongful act) · ro nevinovat (not legally responsible for a wrongful act) · ru неви́нный (naive, artless) · wa enocin (pure, free from sin, untainted) · he תָּמִים (naive, artless) · az suçsuz (not legally responsible for a wrongful act) · sh nedužan (not legally responsible for a wrongful act) · bg невино́вен (not legally responsible for a wrongful act) · mn ариун (pure, free from sin, untainted) · hy անմեղ (not legally responsible for a wrongful act) · nl onnozel (pure, free from sin, untainted) · got 𐍃𐍅𐌹𐌺𐌽𐍃 (pure, free from sin, untainted) · lv nevainīgs (harmless in intent) · ota صوچسز (pure, free from sin, untainted) · fi viaton (pure, free from sin, untainted)