innocent
in·no·cent / ˈinəsənt/ • adj. 1. not guilty of a crime or offense: the arbitrary execution of an innocent man he was innocent of any fraud. ∎ (innocent of) without; lacking: a street quite innocent of bookstores. ∎ (innocent of) without experience or knowledge of: a man innocent of war's cruelties.2. not responsible for or directly involved in an event yet suffering its consequences: an innocent bystander.3. free from moral wrong; not corrupted: an innocent child. ∎ simple; naive: she is a poor, innocent young creature.4. not intended to cause harm or offense; harmless: an innocent mistake.• n. an innocent person, in particular: ∎ a pure, guileless, or naive person: she was an innocent compared with this man. ∎ a person involved by chance in a situation, esp. a victim of crime or war: they are prepared to kill or maim innocents in pursuit of a cause. ∎ (the Innocents) the young children killed by Herod after the birth of Jesus (Matt. 2:16).DERIVATIVES: in·no·cent·ly adv.