innocence
/ˈɪnəsns/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈɪnəsns/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈi-nə-sən(t)s/ (ame, mw)
innocence — 名詞
1. the legal condition of someone who has not committed the criminal act they were
無罪
未犯下被控罪行的法律狀態
the legal condition of someone who has not committed the criminal act they were charged with
The forensic evidence proved the defendant's innocence beyond any reasonable doubt.
鑑識證據證明了被告的無罪，排除了一切合理懷疑。
collocation: prove + [someone's] innocence
Nicholas has always maintained his innocence and refused to accept a plea deal.
Nicholas 始終堅稱自己無罪，並拒絕接受認罪協商。
collocation: maintain + innocence
Amira's lawyer presented new documents to establish her innocence before the judge.
Amira 的律師向法官提交了新文件，以證明她無罪。
The judge told the jury to presume the defendant's innocence unless the prosecution proved otherwise.
法官告訴陪審團，在檢方證明有罪之前，應假定被告無罪。
Defne spent two years in prison before new witnesses finally confirmed her innocence.
Defne 在監獄裡度過了兩年，後來才有新證人出面確認她無罪。
- guiltlessness
more formal and less common; used chiefly in legal writing
- blamelessness
focuses on moral fault rather than legal guilt; broader in scope
- guilt
the direct opposite — the fact of having committed the crime
- culpability
formal term for legal responsibility for wrongdoing
用法筆記
Uncountable — never used as 'an innocence' or 'innocences'. Frequently paired with verbs like 'prove', 'maintain', 'establish', and 'protest'.
常見錯誤
2. the quality of having little experience of life, especially of its unpleasant or
天真
缺乏人生經驗的單純狀態
the quality of having little experience of life, especially of its unpleasant or cruel aspects, so that one tends to trust others too easily
Renata gazed at the crowded night market with the innocence of a small child.
Renata 像個小孩般天真地注視著擁擠的夜市。
collocation: innocence of a [child]
Sofie's innocence led her to trust a man who was clearly lying to her.
Sofie 的天真使她相信了一個明顯在說謊的男人。
Liang remembered the innocence of his childhood, before he knew about poverty and war.
Liang 回憶起童年時期的天真，那時他還不知道貧窮和戰爭是什麼。
Amihan's innocence was obvious from the way she believed every kind word the visitor said.
Amihan 的天真顯而易見，訪客說的每一句好話她都相信。
Kian missed the simple innocence of the village life he had left behind.
Kian 懷念起他留在身後的那種鄉村生活的純樸天真。
- naivety
very similar in meaning, but can carry a slightly more negative judgement of foolishness
- guilelessness
emphasises honesty and lack of deceit rather than inexperience
- purity
more about moral or spiritual cleanness; broader than 'innocence'
- worldliness
having a lot of experience of life, often in a shrewd or sophisticated way
- cynicism
the belief that people are motivated purely by self-interest — opposite of the trusting quality of innocence
- experience
neutral opposite; having knowledge of life's realities
用法筆記
Uncountable — does not take a plural form. Often modified by nouns like 'childhood' or 'youth' (e.g. 'childhood innocence'). The phrase 'lose one's innocence' is a common fixed expression meaning to discover the unpleasant truths of adult life.