in·no·cent
adjective \ˈi-nə-sənt\
: not guilty of a crime or other wrong act
: not deserving to be harmed
: lacking experience with the world and the bad things that happen in life
Full Definition of INNOCENT
1
a : free from guilt or sin especially through lack of knowledge of evil : blameless <an
innocent child>
b : harmless in effect or intention <searching for a hidden motive in even the most innocent conversation — Leonard Wibberley>; also : candid <gave me an innocent gaze>
c : free from legal guilt or fault; also : lawful <a wholly innocent transaction>
2
a : lacking or reflecting a lack of sophistication, guile, or self-consciousness : artless, ingenuous
b : ignorant <almost entirely innocent of Latin — C. L. Wrenn>; also : unaware <perfectly innocent of the confusion he had created — B. R. Haydon>
3
: lacking or deprived of something <her face innocent of cosmetics — Marcia Davenport>
— innocent noun
— in·no·cent·ly adverb
See innocent defined for English-language learners »Examples of INNOCENT
- He says that he is innocent of the crime.
- She was found innocent of all charges.
- A person accused of a crime is considered innocent until proven guilty.
- Someone told your secret, but it wasn't me. I'm innocent.
Origin of INNOCENT
Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin innocent-, innocens, from in- + nocent-, nocens wicked, from present participle of nocēre to harm — more at noxious
First Known Use: 14th century