innocent Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a person who lacks knowledge of evil
    inexperienced person.
  2. adjective free from evil or guilt
    clean-handed; guiltless.
    • an innocent child
    • the principle that one is innocent until proved guilty
  3. adjective satellite lacking intent or capacity to injure
    innocuous.
    • an innocent prank
  4. adjective satellite free from sin
    impeccant; sinless.
  5. adjective satellite lacking in sophistication or worldliness
    ingenuous.
    • a child's innocent stare
    • his ingenuous explanation that he would not have burned the church if he had not thought the bishop was in it
  6. adjective satellite not knowledgeable about something specified
    unacquainted.
    • American tourists wholly innocent of French
    • a person unacquainted with our customs
  7. adjective satellite completely wanting or lacking
    barren; devoid; destitute; free.
    • writing barren of insight
    • young recruits destitute of experience
    • innocent of literary merit
    • the sentence was devoid of meaning
  8. adjective satellite (used of things) lacking sense or awareness
    • fine innocent weather

WordNet

In"no*cent adjective
Etymology
F.innocent, L. innocens, -entis; pref. in- not + nocens, p.pr. of nocere to harm, hurt. See Noxious.
Definitions
  1. Not harmful; free from that which can injure; innoxious; innocuous; harmless; as, an innocent medicine or remedy.
    The spear Sung innocent,and spent its force in air. Pope.
  2. Morally free from guilt; guiltless; not tainted with sin; pure; upright.
    To offer up a weak, poor, innocent lamb. Shak.
    I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. Matt. xxvii. 4.
    The aidless,innocent lady, his wished prey. Milton.
  3. Free from the guilt of a particular crime or offense; as, a man is innocent of the crime charged.
    Innocent from the great transgression. Ps. xix. 13.
  4. Simple; artless; foolish. Shak.
  5. Lawful; permitted; as, an innocent trade.
  6. Not contraband; not subject to forfeiture; as, innocent goods carried to a belligerent nation. Syn. -- Harmless; innoxious; innoffensive; guiltless; spotless; immaculate; pure; unblamable; blameless; faultless; guileless; upright.
In"no*cent noun
Definitions
  1. An innocent person; one free from, or unacquainted with, guilt or sin. Shak.
  2. An unsophisticated person; hence, a child; a simpleton; an idiot. B. Jonson.
    In Scotland a natural fool was called an innocent. Sir W. Scott.

Webster 1913