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

• 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

In a March interview with the Tribune, State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke discussed certificates of innocence generally and said her office has set a high bar for evaluating the merits of such petitions. —Sam Charles, Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 2025

In it, Allen's wife, Kathy Allen, speaks out for the first time and maintains her husband's innocence, per the trailer. —Jordana Comiter, People.com, 5 Aug. 2025

Finally, the criminal actors instruct victims to wire a large sum of money to a Chinese bank account to prove their innocence or to post bail and avoid returning to China, according to the field office. —Jenna Sundel, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Aug. 2025

Club sources previously consulted by The Athletic pointed to the presumption of innocence — a key principle of criminal law in Spain enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights — when asked about Asencio’s situation. —Guillermo Rai, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2025

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