innocence

noun

in·​no·​cence ˈi-nə-sən(t)s 

1

a

: freedom from legal guilt of a particular crime or offense

b

: freedom from guilt or sin through being unacquainted with evil : blamelessness

c

: lack of knowledge : ignorance

… written in entire innocence of the Italian language.

—E. R. Bentley

d(1)

: freedom from guile or cunning : simplicity

(2)

: lack of worldly experience or sophistication

e

: chastity

2

: one that is innocent

3

: bluet

Synonyms of innocence

• innocency
• purity

Examples of innocence in a Sentence

He vows that he will prove his innocence in court.

the trusting innocence of childhood

The age of innocence was over.

Recent Examples on the Web

Pleas of innocence were entered. —Arkansas Online, 31 Jan. 2026

Rosa-Roman pleaded not guilty to Plasse's murder, but he was convicted of first-degree murder in 2016, despite his defense maintaining his innocence. —Mason Leath, ABC News, 30 Jan. 2026

Indeed, for the tens of millions of Milli Vanilli fans who bought their records, the 1990 Grammy ceremony marked an end of innocence of sorts. —Christine Terrisse, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026

This is Rambo stripped down, raw, and real—a survival story about endurance, persistence, and lost innocence. —Arushi Jacob, Variety, 29 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Phrases Containing innocence

• in all innocence

Kids Definition

innocence

noun

in·​no·​cence ˈin-ə-sən(t)s 

: the quality or state of being innocent

Legal Definition

innocence

noun

in·​no·​cence ˈi-nə-səns 

: freedom from fault or guilt under the law: as

a

: the state of not being guilty of a particular crime or offense compare guilt

b

: the state of not being guilty of an act that constitutes a ground for divorce

c

: ignorance on the part of a party to a transaction of facts that would lead a person of ordinary prudence to make inquiries