innocence
/ˈɪnəsn̩s/ noun
Forms innocences
- noun Absence of responsibility for a crime, tort, etc. “Her attorney managed to convince the jury of her innocence.”
- noun Lack of understanding about sensitive subjects such as sexuality and crime. “In his innocence, he offered the stranger to bring the package to Paris, never suspecting it contained drugs.”
- noun Lack of ability or intention to harm or damage. “Tests have demonstrated the innocence of this substance.”
- noun (obsolete) Imbecility; mental deficiency.
Synonyms
unguilt naivety unworldliness purity harmlessness innocuity idiocy moronity blamelessness cleanness inculpability innocency guiltlessness artlessness ingenuousness naturalness pureness sinlessness whiteness
Antonyms
guilt blameworthiness culpability guiltiness noninnocence uninnocence harmfulness nocence
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English innocence, from Old French innocence, inocence, from Latin innocentia. Doublet of innocency. Displaced native Old English unsċyld.
Webster’s 1913
- noun The state or quality of being innocent; freedom from that which is harmful or infurious; harmlessness.
- noun The state or quality of being morally free from guilt or sin; purity of heart; blamelessness.
Etymology [F. innocence, L. innocentia. See Innocent.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “innocence”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details