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innocence - 7 dictionary results

in⋅no⋅cence

  [in-uh-suhns]
Use innocence in a Sentence
–noun
1. the quality or state of being innocent; freedom from sin or moral wrong.
2. freedom from legal or specific wrong; guiltlessness: The prisoner proved his innocence.
3. simplicity; absence of guile or cunning; naiveté.
4. lack of knowledge or understanding.
5. harmlessness; innocuousness.
6. chastity.
7. an innocent person or thing.
8. bluet (def. 1).
9. blue-eyed Mary.
Origin:
1300–50; ME < L innocentia. See innocent, -ence

blue-eyed Mary

 
–noun
a North American plant, Collinsia verna, of the figwort family, having long-stalked flowers with the upper lip white or purple and the lower lip blue.
Also called innocence.

Origin:
1890–95, Americanism

blu⋅et

  [bloo-it]
–noun
1. Usually, bluets. Also called innocence, Quaker-ladies. any of several North American plants of the genus Houstonia (or Hedyotis), of the madder family, esp. H. caerulea, a low-growing plant having four-petaled blue and white flowers.
2. any of various other plants having blue flowers.
Origin:
1400–50; late ME blewet, blewed, var. of ME bloweth, blowed (see blue, blae ); suffix perh. OE -et, as in thicket
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To innocence
blue-eyed Mary  
n.  An annual North American herb (Collinsia verna) having bicolored flowers with two lips. Also called innocence.
in·no·cence   (ĭn'ə-səns)   
n.  
  1. The state, quality, or virtue of being innocent, as:
    1. Freedom from sin, moral wrong, or guilt through lack of knowledge of evil.
    2. Guiltlessness of a specific legal crime or offense.
    3. Freedom from guile, cunning, or deceit; simplicity or artlessness.
    4. Lack of worldliness or sophistication; naiveté.
    5. Lack of knowledge or understanding; ignorance.
    6. Freedom from harmfulness; inoffensiveness.
  2. One that is innocent.
  3. Botany See blue-eyed Mary.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Innocence

In"no*cence\, n. [F. innocence, L. innocentia. See Innocent.]

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 innocence Persuades when speaking fails. --Shak.

Banished from man's life his happiest life, 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.

4. Simplicity or plainness, bordering on weakness or silliness; artlessness; ingenuousness. --Chaucer. Shak.

Syn: Harmlessness; innocuousness; blamelessness; purity; sinlessness; guiltlessness.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : innocence
Spanish: inocencia,
German: die Unschuld,
Japanese: 無罪
More Translations »

Main Entry: in·no·cence
Pronunciation: 'i-n&-s&ns
Function: noun
: freedom from fault or guilt under the law: as a : the state of not being guilty of a particular crime or offense —compare GUILT b : the state of not being guilty of an act that constitutes a ground for divorce c : ignorance on the part of a party to a transaction of facts that would lead a person of ordinary prudence to make inquiries
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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