innocent 1 of 2

adjective

ˈi-nə-sənt How to pronounce innocent (audio)
Definition of innocentnext
1
as in pure
free from sin an innocent baby

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in acquitted
free from guilt or blame the robbery suspect was eventually found to be innocent

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in unaffected
free from any intent to deceive or impress others an innocent offer to sing before the gathering

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in naive
lacking in worldly wisdom or informed judgment an innocent young woman who felt a little out of place among her more sophisticated roommates

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in harmless
not causing or being capable of causing injury or hurt good-natured teasing that is just innocent fun

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in ignorant
not informed about or aware of something a woman who seems entirely innocent of good manners and common courtesy

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

innocent

2 of 2

noun

as in angel
an innocent or gentle person an innocent who is often puzzled by and prey to the evils of the world

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of innocent
Adjective
In addition to common ailments, travel insurance medical coverage typically includes injuries sustained from being an innocent bystander in civil unrest. — Liz Knueven, CNBC, 22 July 2026 If Sam truly believes Paul is innocent, surviving beside him should be easy. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 22 July 2026
Noun
Will the world defend and support the innocents, or will people turn their backs, or, worse yet, accuse the victims of being the criminals? — Diane Gensler, Baltimore Sun, 19 May 2026 And quite frankly, that calculus essentially admits that innocents are going to be hurt, but that is a price to pay. — Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 8 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for innocent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for innocent
  1. pure
  2. guiltless
  3. unaffected
  4. naive
  5. harmless
  6. ignorant
  7. angel
  8. blameless
Adjective
  • By the logic of pure procurement, AI bills should be shrinking.
    — Roman Shemet, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
  • The pure thermal spring water contains postbiotic microflora, which can calm the skin and reduce redness.
    — Catherine Garcia, TheWeek, 21 July 2026
Definition of pure
Adjective
  • In any year, in any culture, there are no antagonists (save for Nazis) better suited as action cinema heavies; rooting against child trafficking lowlifes is moral, easy, and best of all, a completely guiltless pleasure.
    — Andy Crump, IndieWire, 15 June 2026
  • Chick lit was flippant and fizzy and fun, above all, as effervescent and guiltless as a vodka soda.
    — Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 4 May 2026
Definition of guiltless
Adjective
  • The version included in the NDAA limits the restrictions solely to military procurement, leaving commercial imports and private-sector sales unaffected for now.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 24 July 2026
  • If approved by voters, the measure, backed by the Coalition for a Healthy Massachusetts, would outlaw recreational cannabis sales and home cultivation, though adult possession and medical cannabis programs would remain unaffected.
    — A.J. Herrington, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
Definition of unaffected
Adjective
  • Nolan reinvents him as a naive young soldier left outside the horse to sell Odysseus’ deception.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2026
  • As a woman of a certain age, no one had hit me with the naïve stick.
    — Rene Denfeld, PEOPLE, 21 July 2026
Definition of naive
Adjective
  • Then Schwarber worked a six-pitch at-bat only to hit a harmless groundout.
    — Matt Gelb, New York Times, 25 July 2026
  • There are conceivable uses that might seem entertaining or harmless, such as interacting with a consenting celebrity or a recreation of a historical figure.
    — Bernard Marr, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
Definition of harmless
Adjective
  • Careers made and ruined, departments torn apart, writing programs turned into sensitivity seminars, political witch hunts, public opprobrium, ignorant media attacks, the whole ball of wax.
    — Emily Eakin, Harpers Magazine, 28 July 2026
  • Any advice on how to tune out ignorant neighbors who refuse to shut up?
    — R. Eric Thomas, Mercury News, 15 July 2026
Definition of ignorant
Noun
  • The shadow of Hermes is depicted with giant, dovelike wings in the style of a biblical angel.
    — Nikki McCann Ramirez, Rolling Stone, 22 July 2026
  • The Victoria’s Secret angel, 37, welcomed her second baby, a daughter named Flora Blue, with fiancé Tom Daly, sharing the exciting news and the first official photos of her newborn on Instagram.
    — Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 22 July 2026
Definition of angel
Adjective
  • Leaders should restore clear end-to-end accountability, align on-call and incident response with the teams that ship the code, and rebuild a blameless culture.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
  • Schlittler wasn’t blameless in that, committing a throwing error on a pickoff play in the first inning.
    — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 26 June 2026
Definition of blameless

Browse Nearby Words

innocency
innocent
innocently
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Innocent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/innocent. Accessed 1 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on innocent

Nglish: Translation of innocent for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about innocent

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of spindrift

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Your vs. You're: How to Use Them Correctly
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Jul. 31

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All