Definition of "innocent" in English

adjective

1. Free from guilt, sin, or immorality.

   • I'm sure there's an innocent explanation for all this.
   • The situation certainly looked bad, but it turned out that everything was innocent.
   • 2018 September 26, Brian Karem, "Bethesda Resident Describes "Culture Of Privilege" Leading To Exploitation And Abuse" in The Montgomery County Sentinelhttps://web.archive.org/web/20180927140428/https://mont.thesentinel.com/2018/09/26/bethesda-resident-describes-culture-of-privilege-leading-to-sexual-assault/ "These were not innocent times," she said.

2. Bearing no legal responsibility for a wrongful act.

3. Without wrongful intent; accidental or in good faith.

   • He didn't mean anything by it; it was an innocent mistake.
   • The child's innocent question revealed the embarrassing truth in front of everyone.

4. Naive; artless.

5. (obsolete except medicine) Not harmful; innocuous; harmless; benign.

6. (with of) Lacking (something), or knowledge of it.

7. Lawful; permitted.

   • an innocent trade

8. Not contraband; not subject to forfeiture.

   • innocent goods carried to a belligerent nation

noun

1. One who is innocent, especially a young child.

   • The slaughter of the innocents was a significant event in the New Testament.

2. (obsolete) A harmless simple-minded person; an idiot.