1
as in innocency
the quality or state of being free from guilt or blame
the accused embezzler eventually proved her innocence and was released
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in naturalness
the quality or state of being simple and sincere
the innocence of the child's question touched everyone present
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3
as in ignorance
the state of being unaware or uninformed
in my innocence I just assumed that quoted rate was for a week's stay and not for a single night at the health spa
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4
as in purity
the quality or state of being morally pure
in Melville's novel, the sailor Billy Budd serves as a symbol of absolute innocence
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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of innocence
The album has won wide acclaim for its collection of songs about love and death, horror and innocence, in words vulnerable, empathetic, but also blunt and unsparing.
—
Steve Appleford, SPIN, 23 Apr. 2026
Heuermann was arrested outside his midtown Manhattan office in July 2023 and had maintained his innocence for nearly three years.
—Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 23 Apr. 2026
Cherfilus-McCormick maintains her innocence.
—Mary Ellen Klas, Twin Cities, 23 Apr. 2026
Rust's attorney, Jeremy Eldridge, denied the state's allegations, maintaining Rust's innocence.
—Sophie Sonnenfeld, ABC News, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for innocence
Steve Appleford, SPIN, 23 Apr. 2026
Heuermann was arrested outside his midtown Manhattan office in July 2023 and had maintained his innocence for nearly three years.
—Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 23 Apr. 2026
Cherfilus-McCormick maintains her innocence.
—Mary Ellen Klas, Twin Cities, 23 Apr. 2026
Rust's attorney, Jeremy Eldridge, denied the state's allegations, maintaining Rust's innocence.
—Sophie Sonnenfeld, ABC News, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for innocence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for innocence
Noun
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That ease and naturalness are paramount to Copeland.—
Tamim Alnuweiri,
InStyle,
9 Apr. 2026
-
The slightly distressed finish of brown sneakers adds naturalness and ease that pairs harmoniously with the low profile of baggy jeans.—
Alex Sales,
Glamour,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Rather than implying ignorance, the silence becomes a constraint.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
3 May 2026
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Darling, who co-wrote her romantic thriller along with fellow Baha’i and husband Clark Donnelly, added the title for her Cast Aside the Clouds film came from a poem by Iranian writer Tahireh about replacing ignorance with world unity, a key tenet of the Baha’i faith.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
1 May 2026
Noun
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And sometimes the music does traffic in the kinds of clichés about middle-American purity of spirit that have long been a hallmark of conservative rhetoric.—
Jack Hamilton,
The Atlantic,
28 Apr. 2026
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Read More Even at its glitziest, though, there is always an earnest purity about Parton’s work and worldview.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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This was the most straightforward, efficient episode of the season, pleasurable in its simplicity, with only one gimmick (the to-go orders) that barely made a difference to the episode’s outcome.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
28 Apr. 2026
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That simplicity is an advantage that baseball has over hockey, where everything moves so much faster and the plays don’t happen in discrete chunks.—
Sean McIndoe,
New York Times,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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People leaned in and listened intently as others spoke with sincerity.—
Jen Christensen,
CNN Money,
1 May 2026
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There’s too much effort, too much time, and too much sincerity apparent behind this film to dismiss it outright.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Innocence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/innocence. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
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