Definition of INNOCENT

innocent

Plural: innocents

Noun

  • A person who is free from guilt or sin.
  • a person who lacks knowledge of evil
  • One who is innocent, especially a young child.
  • A harmless simple-minded person; an idiot.

Adjective

  • Free from guilt, sin, or malice.
  • free from evil or guilt
    • "an innocent child"
    • "the principle that one is innocent until proved guilty"

Adjective Satellite

  • lacking intent or capacity to injure
    • "an innocent prank"
  • free from sin
  • lacking in sophistication or worldliness
    • "a child's innocent stare"
  • not knowledgeable about something specified
    • "American tourists wholly innocent of French"
  • completely wanting or lacking
    • "innocent of literary merit"
  • (used of things) lacking sense or awareness
    • "fine innocent weather"

Adj

  • Free from guilt, sin, or immorality.
  • Bearing no legal responsibility for a wrongful act.
  • Without wrongful intent; accidental or in good faith.
  • Naive; artless.
  • Not harmful; innocuous; harmless; benign.
  • Lacking (something), or knowledge of it.
  • Lawful; permitted.
  • Not contraband; not subject to forfeiture.

Examples

  • an innocent trade
  • Despite the controversial play, the Scrabble judge declared the move innocent.
  • He didn't mean anything by it; it was an innocent mistake.
  • He felt like an innocent, accused of cheating when he simply found a rare word.
  • I'm sure there's an innocent explanation for all this.
  • innocent goods carried to a belligerent nation
  • The child's innocent question revealed the embarrassing truth in front of everyone.
  • The situation certainly looked bad, but it turned out that everything was innocent.
  • The slaughter of the innocents was a significant event in the New Testament.

Origin / 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.

Synonyms

barren, clean-handed, destitute, devoid, free, guiltless, impeccant, inexperienced person, ingenuous, innocuous, sinless, unacquainted, blameless, clean, clean as a hound's tooth, clean as a whistle, dovelike, innocent, innocent as the babe unborn, innocent as the child unborn, irreprehensible, offenseless, pure, sackless, unblameable, uncalculating, unguilty, untainted

Scrabble Score: 10

innocent: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
innocent: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
innocent: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 14

innocent: valid Words With Friends Word