innocent
/ˈɪnəsnt/ (bre, ipa) · [ˈɪnəsənt] /ˈɪnəsnt/ (ame, ipa) · [ˈɪnəsənt] /ˈi-nə-sənt/ (ame, mw) · /ˈɪn.ə.sənt/ (bre, ipa) · [ˈɪnəsənt] /ˈɪn.ə.sənt/ (ame, ipa)
innocent — adjective
- innocentpositive
- more innocentcomparative
- most innocentsuperlative
1. describes a person who did not commit the crime or wrongdoing they are accused o
describes a person who did not commit the crime or wrongdoing they are accused of.
The lawyer proved that her client was innocent of the robbery.
collocation: innocent of [crime]
Gabriel spent three years in prison before the court finally declared him innocent.
passive: declared innocent by a court
An innocent person should never be punished for something they did not do.
The judge had no doubt that the accused woman was completely innocent.
Camille maintained her innocent plea throughout the entire trial.
- not guilty
the standard legal phrase used in court verdicts
- blameless
more formal; suggests no moral fault at all
- cleared
past participle used after a formal decision by a court or committee
- guilty
found to have committed the crime
文法句型
be innocent of + noun phrase
用法筆記
Frequently paired with the preposition 'of' to specify the crime the person did not commit. In legal contexts the opposite is 'guilty'.
常見錯誤
2. describes someone who has not yet learned about the unpleasant or dishonest side
describes someone who has not yet learned about the unpleasant or dishonest side of life because they have had little experience of it.
Lakshmi was so innocent that she believed every promise the salesman made.
The novel is told through the eyes of a young and innocent girl.
collocation: young and innocent
João gave an innocent smile, not understanding why everyone was laughing.
Moving to the city changed Min from an innocent country girl into a confident woman.
The interns' innocent questions showed the manager they had never worked in an office.
- naive
the most direct synonym; focuses on lack of worldly wisdom
- childlike
positive connotation; suggests pure and trusting like a child
- unsophisticated
suggests lack of polish or experience rather than moral purity
- worldly
having a lot of experience of life and people
- sophisticated
showing a lot of experience and knowledge of the world
用法筆記
Can imply a positive quality (pure, uncorrupted) or a limitation (gullible, easily tricked) depending on context. Compare sense 1 (legal innocence) — this sense has nothing to do with crime.
常見錯誤
3. describes a person who is hurt or killed during a conflict even though they are
describes a person who is hurt or killed during a conflict even though they are not a member of any armed group and are not fighting.
The bomb killed over thirty innocent civilians who were just shopping at the market.
collocation: innocent civilians
Chidi's family were among the innocent victims of the border conflict.
collocation: innocent victims
International law requires armies to protect innocent people during wartime.
The Red Cross provided food and medicine to innocent families trapped in the war zone.
Linh lost her home in the airstrike even though she was a completely innocent bystander.
- non-combatant
formal military term for someone not fighting
- civilian
a person not in the armed forces; less emotional than 'innocent'
- combatant
a person engaged in fighting
文法句型
innocent + noun (people / civilians / victims / bystanders)
用法筆記
Commonly collocates with 'civilians', 'victims', 'bystanders', and 'people'. Frequently appears in news reports about armed conflicts. Do not confuse with sense 1 (legal innocence) — this sense is about non-participation in fighting, not about guilt or crime.
4. describes an action, statement, or object that is not meant to upset, offend, or
describes an action, statement, or object that is not meant to upset, offend, or injure anyone.
Mert thought it was just an innocent joke, but Eva found it quite rude.
collocation: innocent joke / remark / comment
The question seemed innocent enough, so nobody expected such an angry reply.
Lauren left an innocent comment on the post, and suddenly everyone was arguing.
Felipe stored some innocent files on his work computer, but the security system flagged them.
The couple's evening walk through the park was an innocent activity that the guards misunderstood.
- harmless
the most direct synonym; focuses on lack of damaging effect
- well-intentioned
focuses on the good purpose behind the action
- minor
suggests the thing is not serious enough to cause real harm
用法筆記
Often used when someone's action is later interpreted as having a bad intention, but the person insists — or the speaker believes — no harm was meant.
常見錯誤
5. describes someone who has no knowledge of a particular subject or fact — as thou
describes someone who has no knowledge of a particular subject or fact — as though they have simply never encountered it.
Élise was completely innocent of the rules that governed the competition.
pattern: innocent of + noun (formal)
The new intern seemed innocent of the office politics that divided the team.
Most teenagers are innocent of the financial pressures their parents face every month.
The report assumes readers are innocent of any background in economics.
- ignorant of
stronger; can sound dismissive or critical
- unaware of
more neutral and common in everyday speech
- unfamiliar with
suggests lack of experience rather than lack of knowledge
- familiar with
having knowledge or experience of something
- knowledgeable about
having a lot of information about something
文法句型
innocent of + noun phrase (a fact, a subject)
用法筆記
This sense is formal and somewhat literary. In everyday speech, 'unaware of' or 'ignorant of' are more natural. It always takes a complement specifying what the person lacks knowledge of.
常見錯誤
innocent — noun
- innocentsingular
- innocentsplural
1. a person — especially a young one — who has not yet been exposed to the cruel, d
a person — especially a young one — who has not yet been exposed to the cruel, dishonest, or unpleasant side of life.
In this city full of tricksters, an innocent like Linh would not last a week.
The movie follows a small-town innocent who moves to Los Angeles to become a star.
common phrase: small-town innocent
Eve felt like an innocent among the experienced lawyers at the conference.
The war killed many innocents who were only trying to flee the city.
Old photographs of the school show a classroom full of smiling innocents.
- naive person
more neutral; lacks the emotional weight of 'innocent'
- novice
focuses on being new to an activity, not life in general
- cynic
a person who believes people always act selfishly
用法筆記
Often used in the plural 'innocents' to refer to children or other vulnerable people who suffer through no fault of their own. Overlaps with adjective sense 2 (naive) and sense 3 (civilian victim) depending on context.