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innocent

innocent

54 3.4
A person who is not guilty of a crime or who is naive
  • noun
  • /ˈɪnəsənt/
translation icon : inocente
  • I am afraid that there are innocent people on death row.
  • kill innocents
  • slaughter of innocents
  • death of innocents

And it breaks my heart to see the death of innocents in Gaza.

Examples

  • Activists work tirelessly to free the innocent individuals imprisoned without just cause.

  • And we, the innocents, are left to pick up the pieces.

  • Police wear body body cameras to protect the innocent and themselves.

  • Serve the public trust, protect the innocent, uphold the law.

  • We can't go back to the innocent world that we thought we had.

  • John Karl, an innocent victim of Hurricane Donald.

  • But I mean, there's no doubt that, you know, innocent people are convicted.

  • And all that hatred was embodied in these innocent folks they held captive.

  • The war-wracked innocents, without parents, without homes, fighting over garbage.

  • Terrorists, like other criminals, violate laws and hurt innocents as they pursue their aims.

    Academic text (2004)

Synonyms

lamb
vsinnocent
60 5.6

A person who is gentle, innocent, or easily tricked

is not guilty or simply naive rather than especially vulnerable

Antonyms

2.1

A person who has committed a crime or broken the law

8 4.3

A person who breaks the law or hurts other people

How Guilty

convict
137 3.2
perpetrator
161 6.8
accused
2 3.6
suspect
3.4
innocent
54 3.4

Surface Forms

innocent singular
innocents plural

Etymology

Innocent as a noun comes from Latin parts in- 'not' and nocere 'to harm', so an innocent is a person who is 'not guilty' or 'not harmed', and this is why the word can mean someone pure, naive, or not guilty of a crime.