Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Innocence
1.
The state or quality of being innocent; freedom from that which is harmful or infurious; harmlessness.
2.
The state or quality of being morally free from guilt or sin; purity of heart; blamelessness.
The silence often of pure
Persuades when speaking fails.
innocence
Persuades when speaking fails.
Shakespeare
Banished from man’s life his happiest life,
Simplicity and spotless
Simplicity and spotless
innocence
! Milton.
3.
The state or quality of being not chargeable for, or guilty of, a particular crime or offense;
as, the
. innocence
of the prisoner was clearly shown
Syn. – Harmlessness; innocuousness; blamelessness; purity; sinlessness; guiltlessness.
Webster 1828 Edition
Innocence
IN'NOCENCE
Definition 2024
innocence
innocence
English
Noun
innocence (countable and uncountable, plural innocences)
- Absence of responsibility for a crime.
- Her attorney managed to convince the jury of her innocence.
- Lack of understanding about sensitive subjects such as sexuality and crime.
- 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 9, in The China Governess:
- Eustace gaped at him in amazement. When his urbanity dropped away from him, as now, he had an innocence of expression which was almost infantile. It was as if the world had never touched him at all.
- In his innocence, he offered the stranger to bring the package to Paris, never suspecting it contained drugs.
-
- Lack of ability or intention to harm or damage.
- Tests have demonstrated the innocence of this substance.
Antonyms
- (absence of responsibility for a crime): guilt
- (absence of ability to harm): harmfulness
Synonyms
- (lack of sensitive subjects): naivety
- (absence of ability to harm): harmlessness
- (freedom from guilt): unguilt, unguiltness
Related terms
Translations
absence of responsibility for a crime
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lack of understanding about sensitive subjects such as sexuality and crime
lack of ability or intention to harm or damage
French
Etymology
Old French inocence, from Latin innocentia.
Noun
innocence f (plural innocences)