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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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Recent Examples of innocence
Billups has maintained his innocence.
—
Tom Winter, NBC news, 28 May 2026
Not over it, life-long impact, forever changed me, stole my innocence, took away my childhood.
—Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 28 May 2026
Bond conditions and judicial discretion Former Jackson County Judge John Torrence, who is now in private practice, said judges weighing bond decisions generally consider whether someone poses a danger to the community or is a flight risk while balancing the presumption of innocence.
—Ben Wheeler
updated May 27, Kansas City Star, 27 May 2026
Why was my childhood innocence destroyed in such a violent and swift manner?
—Zoe Weissman, The Atlantic, 26 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for innocence
Tom Winter, NBC news, 28 May 2026
Not over it, life-long impact, forever changed me, stole my innocence, took away my childhood.
—Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 28 May 2026
Bond conditions and judicial discretion Former Jackson County Judge John Torrence, who is now in private practice, said judges weighing bond decisions generally consider whether someone poses a danger to the community or is a flight risk while balancing the presumption of innocence.
—Ben Wheeler
updated May 27, Kansas City Star, 27 May 2026
Why was my childhood innocence destroyed in such a violent and swift manner?
—Zoe Weissman, The Atlantic, 26 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for innocence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for innocence
Noun
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As a national icon, the Natural Bridge served as a quiet, Emersonian rebuke to Europe’s militaristic triumphal arches, reinforcing the naturalness of American democracy.—
Sebastian Smee,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
That ease and naturalness are paramount to Copeland.—
Tamim Alnuweiri,
InStyle,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
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When racist incidents happen, colleges sometimes respond with educational programs that ask students of color to fix white ignorance for free.—
Ingrid A. Nelson,
The Conversation,
29 May 2026
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The combined disgust, discomfort, ignorance, and fascination with our Indigeneity that unsettled my aunties and fascinated my cousins made more sense to me.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 May 2026
Noun
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Reformation conducted a direct aesthetic and technical comparison between Project Latvus fabric and that made with wood pulp, concluding the wheat straw fabric was comparable in purity and presented no major quality concerns.—
Jennifer Bringle,
Footwear News,
1 June 2026
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His victim, in her unassailable purity, resists him, thereby proving that the arrivistes populating the ranks of England’s most upwardly mobile class had a moral edge over the nobility.—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
Noun
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The project posed several issues for an artist who had always emphasized clarity and simplicity in his solitary picture-taking.—
James Quandt,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
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Baoase is also transporting, as any memorable hotel should be, with a strong Asian-esque design that includes ubiquitous Balinese Hindu statues, idols, and sculptures, and a reliance on simplicity over dazzle.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
Noun
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What is necessary for a successful religious accommodation request is sincerity, Paul told USA TODAY.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
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While many fans have questioned the sincerity of the effort that A’s owner John Fisher and MLB made to keep the A’s in Oakland, MLB officials also grew frustrated by the process.—
Evan Drellich,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Innocence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/innocence. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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