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innocent

 - 19 dictionary results

in⋅no⋅cent

  [in-uh-suhnt]
Use innocent in a Sentence
–adjective
1. free from moral wrong; without sin; pure: innocent children.
2. free from legal or specific wrong; guiltless: innocent of the crime.
3. not involving evil intent or motive: an innocent misrepresentation.
4. not causing physical or moral injury; harmless: innocent fun.
5. devoid (usually fol. by of): a law innocent of merit.
6. having or showing the simplicity or naiveté of an unworldly person; guileless; ingenuous.
7. uninformed or unaware; ignorant.
–noun
8. an innocent person.
9. a young child.
10. a guileless person.
11. a simpleton or idiot.
12. Usually, innocents. (used with a singular verb) bluet (def. 1).
Origin:
1150–1200; ME < L innocent- (s. of innocēns) harmless, equiv. to in- in- 3 + nocēns prp. of nocēre to harm; see -ent; cf. noxious

Related forms:
in⋅no⋅cent⋅ly, adverb

Synonyms:
1. sinless, virtuous; faultless, impeccable, spotless, immaculate. 2. Innocent, blameless, guiltless imply freedom from the responsibility of having done wrong. Innocent may imply having done no wrong at any time, and having not even a knowledge of evil: an innocent victim. Blameless denotes freedom from blame, esp. moral blame: a blameless life. Guiltless denotes freedom from guilt or responsibility for wrongdoing, usually in a particular instance: guiltless of a crime. 6. simple, naive, unsophisticated, artless.

Antonyms:
1, 2. guilty.

In⋅no⋅cent I

  [in-uh-suhnt]
–noun
Saint, died a.d. 417, Italian ecclesiastic: pope 401–417.

Innocent II

 
–noun
(Gregorio Papareschi) died 1143, Italian ecclesiastic: pope 1130–43.

Innocent III

 
–noun
(Giovanni Lotario de' Conti) 1161?–1216, Italian ecclesiastic: pope 1198–1216.

Innocent IV

 
–noun
(Sinbaldo de Fieschi) c1180–1254, Italian ecclesiastic: pope 1243–54.

Innocent V

 
–noun
(Pierre de Tarentaise) c1225–76, French ecclesiastic: pope 1276.

Innocent VI

 
–noun
(Étienne Aubert) died 1362, French jurist and ecclesiastic: pope 1352–62.

Innocent VII

 
–noun
(Cosimo de' Migliorati) 1336–1406, Italian ecclesiastic: pope 1404–06.

Innocent VIII

 
–noun
(Giovanni Battista Cibò) 1432–92, Italian ecclesiastic: pope 1484–92.

Innocent IX

 
–noun
(Giovanni Antonio Facchinetti) 1519–91, Italian ecclesiastic: pope 1591.

Innocent X

 
–noun
(Giambattista Pamfili) 1574–1655, Italian ecclesiastic: pope 1644–55.

Innocent XI

 
–noun
(Benedetto Odescalchi) 1611–89, Italian ecclesiastic: pope 1676–89.

Innocent XII

 
–noun
(Antonio Pignatelli) 1615–1700, Italian ecclesiastic: pope 1691–1700.

Innocent XIII

 
–noun
(Michelangelo Conti) 1655–1724, Italian ecclesiastic: pope 1721–24.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To innocent
in·no·cent   (ĭn'ə-sənt)   
adj.  

  1. Uncorrupted by evil, malice, or wrongdoing; sinless: an innocent child.

    1. Not guilty of a specific crime or offense; legally blameless: was innocent of all charges.

    2. Within, allowed by, or sanctioned by the law; lawful.

    3. Not dangerous or harmful; innocuous: an innocent prank.

    4. Candid; straightforward: a child's innocent stare.

    5. Not experienced or worldly; naive.

    6. Betraying or suggesting no deception or guile; artless.

    7. Not exposed to or familiar with something specified; ignorant: American tourists wholly innocent of French.

    8. Unaware: She remained innocent of the complications she had caused.

    1. Not dangerous or harmful; innocuous: an innocent prank.

    2. Candid; straightforward: a child's innocent stare.

    3. Not experienced or worldly; naive.

    4. Betraying or suggesting no deception or guile; artless.

    5. Not exposed to or familiar with something specified; ignorant: American tourists wholly innocent of French.

    6. Unaware: She remained innocent of the complications she had caused.

    1. Not experienced or worldly; naive.

    2. Betraying or suggesting no deception or guile; artless.

    3. Not exposed to or familiar with something specified; ignorant: American tourists wholly innocent of French.

    4. Unaware: She remained innocent of the complications she had caused.

    1. Not exposed to or familiar with something specified; ignorant: American tourists wholly innocent of French.

    2. Unaware: She remained innocent of the complications she had caused.

  6. Lacking, deprived, or devoid of something: a novel innocent of literary merit.

n.  

  1. A person, especially a child, who is free of evil or sin.

  2. A simple, guileless, inexperienced, or unsophisticated person.

  3. A very young child.


[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin innocēns, innocent- : in-, not; see in-1 + nocēns, present participle of nocēre, to harm; see nek-1 in Indo-European roots.]
in'no·cent·ly adv.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Word Origin & History

innocent  (adj.)
1340, "doing no evil, free from sin or guilt," from O.Fr. innocent (11c.), from L. innocentem (nom. innocens) "not guilty, harmless, blameless," from in- "not" + nocentem (nom. nocens), prp. of nocere "to harm." Meaning "free from guilt of a crime or charge" is from 1382. The earliest use was as a noun, "person who is innocent of sin or evil" (c.1200).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: in·no·cent
Pronunciation: 'i-n&-s&nt
Function: adjective
: characterized by innocence
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
Cite This Source
Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: in·no·cent
Pronunciation: 'in-&-s&nt
Function: adjective
: lacking capacity to injure : BENIGN innocent tumor> <innocent heart murmurs>
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
Cite This Source
Medical Dictionary

innocent in·no·cent (ĭn'ə-sənt)
adj.
Not apparently harmful; benign.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
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