innocent

views updated May 14 2018

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.

innocent

views updated Jun 11 2018

innocent free from wrong, sin, or guilt XIV; not injurious XVII. Also sb. XIV. — (O)F. innocent or L. innocēns, -ent-, f. IN-2 + nocēns, prp. of nocēre hurt, injure; see -ENT.
So innocence XIV. — (O)F. — L. innocuous XVI. f. L. innocuus.

Innocent

views updated May 23 2018

INNOCENT

Absent guilt; acting ingood faithwith no knowledge of defects, objections, or inculpative circumstances.

A person accused of and prosecuted for the commission of a crime is presumed innocent until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.