Innocent — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective noun /ˈi-nə-sənt/ in·no·cent

Meaning & Definition of Innocent

Innocent (adjective)

  1. free from legal guilt or fault; also, lawful
  2. free from guilt or sin especially through lack of knowledge of evil, blameless
  3. harmless in effect or intention; also, candid

Innocent (noun)

  1. a person who is innocent
  2. a person free from sin, a young child
  3. a naïve, inexperienced, or unsophisticated person

Innocent (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. free from sin

    "an innocent baby"

    similar: impeccable, pure, sinless, white
    related: chaste, moral, virgin, virtuous, immaculate, spotless, unblemished, unstained, unsullied, decent, ethical, good, honest, honorable, righteous, upright, blameless, guiltless
    opposite: impure, peccant, sinful, sinning
    near: lascivious, lecherous, lewd, libidinous, lickerish, lustful, oversexed, unchaste, evil, immoral, iniquitous, reprobate, unrighteous, virtueless, wicked, corrupt, debased, debauched, degenerate, depraved, dissolute, erring, fallen, lost, perverted, condemned, damned

  2. free from guilt or blame

    "the robbery suspect was eventually found to be innocent"

    similar: blameless, cleanhanded, clear, faultless, guiltless, impeccable, inculpable, irreproachable, lily-white, in the clear
    related: absolved, acquitted, cleared, exonerated, vindicated, ethical, law-abiding, moral, righteous, upright, virtuous
    opposite: guilty
    near: blamable, blameworthy, censurable, culpable, impeachable, indictable, punishable, accused, impeached, indicted, condemned, convicted, hangdog, shamed, shamefaced

  3. free from any intent to deceive or impress others

    "an innocent offer to sing before the gathering"

    similar: artless, genuine, guileless, honest, ingenuous, naive, natural, real, simple, sincere, true, unaffected, unpretending, unpretentious, on the level
    related: childlike, dewy-eyed, gee-whiz, impressionable, inexperienced, malleable, persuadable, persuasible, simpleminded, unsophisticated, unworldly, wide-eyed, spontaneous, unforced, unstudied, candid, direct, frank, free, free-spoken, open, openhearted, plain, plainspoken, single-minded, straight, straightforward, unguarded, trustful, trusting, exploitable, gullible, susceptible, unwary
    opposite: affected, artful, artificial, assuming, dishonest, dissembling, dissimulating, fake, false, guileful, insincere, phony, pretentious
    near: critical, cynical, mistrustful, skeptical, suspicious, wary, cosmopolitan, sophisticated, worldly, worldly-wise, civilized, cultivated, cultured, polished, refined, crooked, deceitful, deceptive, devious, double-dealing, hypocritical, manipulative, two-faced, arch, calculating, canny, crafty, cunning, designing, foxy, knavish, scheming, sharp, shifty, shrewd, slick, slippery, sly, subtle, tricky, underhanded, wily, flattering, mealymouthed, smooth, sycophantic, unctuous, feigned, forced, strained

  4. lacking in worldly wisdom or informed judgment

    "an innocent young woman who felt a little out of place among her more sophisticated roommates"

    similar: aw-shucks, dewy, dewy-eyed, green, ingenuous, naïf, naive, primitive, simple, simpleminded, uncritical, unknowing, unsophisticated, unsuspecting, unsuspicious, unwary, unworldly, wide-eyed
    related: callow, childish, immature, inexperienced, raw, childlike, idealistic, impractical, unrealistic, believing, credulous, gullible, susceptible, trustful, trusting, unguarded, beguiled, duped, gulled, tricked, careless, heedless, thoughtless
    opposite: cosmopolitan, experienced, knowing, sophisticated, worldly, worldly-wise
    near: critical, cynical, doubting, incredulous, skeptical, suspecting, suspicious, unconvinced, careful, cautious, guarded, leery, wary, watchful, down-to-earth, hardheaded, pragmatic, realistic, sober, street-smart, streetwise

  5. not causing or being capable of causing injury or hurt

    "good-natured teasing that is just innocent fun"

    similar: anodyne, benign, harmless, hurtless, innocuous, inoffensive, safe, white
    related: healthful, healthy, salubrious, wholesome, benignant, sound, trustworthy, gentle, gracious, mild, nonthreatening, painless, unobjectionable, noncorrosive, nondestructive, nonfatal, noninfectious, nonlethal, nonpoisonous, nonpolluting, nontoxic, nonvenomous
    opposite: adverse, bad, baleful, baneful, damaging, dangerous, deleterious, detrimental, evil, harmful, hurtful, ill, injurious, mischievous, nocuous, noxious, pernicious, prejudicial, wicked
    near: poisonous, venomous, menacing, ominous, sinister, threatening, hazardous, imperiling, jeopardizing, parlous, perilous, risky, unsafe, unsound, nasty, noisome, unhealthful, unhealthy, unwholesome, offensive, painful, scathing, wounding, deadly, fatal, lethal, ruinous, destructive, insidious, malignant, noxious, pestilent, polluted, tainted

  6. not informed about or aware of something

    "a woman who seems entirely innocent of good manners and common courtesy"

    similar: clueless, ignorant, incognizant, insensible, nescient, oblivious, unacquainted, unaware, unconscious, uninformed, unknowing, unmindful, unwitting, in the dark
    related: uneducated, unschooled, untaught, absent, absentminded, abstracted, heedless, inattentive, inconscient
    opposite: acquainted, aware, cognizant, conscious, conversant, grounded, informed, knowing, mindful, witting
    near: au courant, hip, plugged-in, up-to-date, educated, knowledgeable, schooled, taught, heedful, observant, sensitive, sentient

Innocent (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. an innocent or gentle person

    "an innocent who is often puzzled by and prey to the evils of the world"

    similar: angel, dove, lamb, sheep
    related: babe, colt, cub, fledgling, greenhorn, ingenue, naïf, newbie, tenderfoot, virgin, cherub, saint, softy, weakling, wimp, dupe, pigeon, sap, sucker
    opposite: wolf
    near: bully, roughneck, rowdy, tough, beast, boor, cad, churl, clown, creep, cretin, cur, heel, jerk, joker, louse, lout, slob, shark, skunk, snake, stinker, devil, knave, miscreant, no-good, rapscallion, rascal, reprobate, rogue, scalawag, scamp, scoundrel, varlet, villain

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Innocent

The most common words with a similar meaning to Innocent:

impeccable, pure, sinless, white, blameless, cleanhanded, clear, faultless, guiltless, inculpable, irreproachable, lily-white, artless, genuine, guileless, honest, ingenuous, naive, natural, real, simple, sincere, true, unaffected, unpretending, unpretentious, aw-shucks, dewy, dewy-eyed, green, naïf, primitive, simpleminded, uncritical, unknowing, unsophisticated, unsuspecting, unsuspicious, unwary, unworldly

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Innocent

Words with the opposite meaning of Innocent:

impure, peccant, sinful, sinning, guilty, affected, artful, artificial, assuming, dishonest, dissembling, dissimulating, fake, false, guileful, insincere, phony, pretentious, cosmopolitan, experienced, knowing, sophisticated, worldly, worldly-wise, adverse, bad, baleful, baneful, damaging, dangerous

Related Words for Innocent

chaste, moral, virgin, virtuous, immaculate, spotless, unblemished, unstained, unsullied, decent, ethical, good, honorable, righteous, upright, absolved, acquitted, cleared, exonerated, vindicated, law-abiding, childlike, gee-whiz, impressionable, inexperienced, malleable, persuadable, persuasible, spontaneous, unforced

Near Antonyms of Innocent

lascivious, lecherous, lewd, libidinous, lickerish, lustful, oversexed, unchaste, immoral, iniquitous, reprobate, unrighteous, virtueless, corrupt, debased, debauched, degenerate, depraved, dissolute, erring, fallen, lost, perverted, condemned, damned, blamable, blameworthy, censurable, culpable, impeachable

Word Forms of Innocent

Inflections: innocents

Derived words: innocently (adverb)

Origin & Etymology of Innocent

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin innocent-, innocens, from in- + nocent-, nocens wicked, from present participle of nocēre to harm noxious

First known use: 14th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Innocent

Frequently Asked Questions about Innocent

What does "Innocent" mean?

"Innocent" means free from legal guilt or fault; also, lawful. As an an adjective and a noun, it is defined as: free from legal guilt or fault; also, lawful. It has 7 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Innocent"?

Other words for "Innocent" include impeccable, pure, sinless, white, blameless, cleanhanded, clear and faultless. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Innocent" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Innocent"?

There are 179 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Innocent". Common alternatives include impeccable, pure, sinless, white, blameless, cleanhanded, clear, faultless, guiltless and inculpable.

What is the opposite of "Innocent"?

Antonyms of "Innocent" include impure, peccant, sinful, sinning, guilty, affected, artful and artificial. Near antonyms include lascivious, lecherous, lewd and libidinous.

How do you use "Innocent" in a sentence?

Examples of "Innocent" in a sentence: "an innocent baby"; "the robbery suspect was eventually found to be innocent"; "an innocent offer to sing before the gathering".

Is "Innocent" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Innocent" can be used as an adjective and a noun, depending on the context.

Is "Innocent" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B1-level word, "Innocent" is typical of Cambridge B1 Preliminary (PET), IELTS band 4.0–5.0, TOEFL iBT 42–71, PTE Academic 43–58, TOEIC Listening & Reading 550+.

How do you pronounce "Innocent"?

"Innocent" is pronounced /ˈi-nə-sənt/ and divided into syllables as in·no·cent.