innocent

English Online Dictionary. What means innocent‎? What does innocent mean?

English

Alternative forms

• hinnocent

Etymology

From Middle English innocent, from Old French innocent, inocent, borrowed from Latin innocēns (“harmless, inoffensive”), from in- (“not”) + nocēns, present participle of noceō (“to hurt”). By surface analysis, in- (“not”) +‎ nocent (“harmful; guilty”). Displaced native Old English unsċyldiġ.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɪnəsənt/

Adjective

innocent (comparative more innocent, superlative most innocent)

2. Free from guilt, sin, or immorality.
   • 2018 September 26, Brian Karem, "Bethesda Resident Describes "Culture Of Privilege" Leading To Exploitation And Abuse" in The Montgomery County Sentinel[1]

     "These were not innocent times," she said.

3. Bearing no legal responsibility for a wrongful act.
4. Without wrongful intent; accidental or in good faith.

5. Naive; artless.
6. (obsolete except medicine) Not harmful; innocuous; harmless; benign.
7. (with of) Lacking (something), or knowledge of it.
8. Lawful; permitted.

9. Not contraband; not subject to forfeiture.

Synonyms

• (free from blame or guilt): sackless, guiltless
• (free from sin): pure, untainted
• (naive): See also Thesaurus:naive

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of “bearing no legal responsibility for a wrongful act”): guilty, nocent
• (antonym(s) of “naive”): perverse

Derived terms

Related terms

• innocence
• innocently
• innocuous

Translations

Noun

innocent (plural innocents)

1. One who is innocent, especially a young child.
2. (obsolete) A harmless simple-minded person; an idiot.

References

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin innocentem (“harmless, inoffensive”).

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ent

Adjective

innocent m or f (masculine and feminine plural innocents)

1. innocent

Derived terms

• innocentment

Related terms

• innocència
• innocentada

Further reading

• “innocent” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “innocent”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2025.
• “innocent” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “innocent” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

French

Etymology

From Old French inocent, borrowed from Latin innocentem (“harmless, inoffensive”, from in- (“not”) +‎ nocēns (present participle of noceō (“to hurt”))).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /i.nɔ.sɑ̃/

Adjective

innocent (feminine innocente, masculine plural innocents, feminine plural innocentes)

1. innocent

Derived terms

Related terms

• innocence
• innocenter

Noun

innocent m (plural innocents, feminine innocente)

1. an innocent person
2. (figurative) a naive person
3. (Quebec) a stupid or foolish person

Further reading

• “innocent”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.