1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

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
The judge of all the earth cannot be so unjust as to punish the guilty and the innocent alike! — Literary Hub, 18 Sep. 2026 Her family said Surbezz Clark was an innocent bystander caught in the crossfire outside an Auburn Gresham gas station just before July 4. — Lauren Victory, CBS News, 18 Sep. 2026
Noun
Whatever conclusions investigators might reach, the loss of at least 50 souls, and the wounding of dozens more innocents, is an unbearable blow for any community. — Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 June 2026 In his work, women were still ethereal innocents who had yet to become believable human beings. — Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 1 June 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
  • The South Korean head of state concluded a successful official visit to Mexico this week with a stop that was pure K-pop, featuring one of his country’s most representative musical groups.
    — Natalia Cano, Billboard, 26 Sep. 2026
  • This is pure comfort, but keeping slippers on the first, second, and third floor means never having to go up or down possibly three flights of stairs to locate them.
    — Jenny Hughes, The Spruce, 26 Sep. 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
  • Yet with the relentless Ukrainian drone strikes – including the biggest wave ever launched against the Moscow region as voting took place this weekend – the Kremlin has been at pains to reassure Russians that life goes on largely unaffected.
    — Matthew Chance, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Areas once largely unaffected are increasingly reporting infections, reflecting a gradual expansion of the virus across the country.
    — Giada Zampano, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of unaffected
Adjective
  • Rounding out their trio is Hazel (Kennedi Reece), a sweet, naive young woman, completely sheltered by her conservative upbringing but determined to follow her Michelle Obama dreams.
    — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Pure-hearted, brave, and a little naive, audiences can’t help but love him.
    — Sarah Scott, Parents, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of naive
Adjective
  • But the seemingly harmless weekend turns into a game of manipulation, and power games.
    — Annika Pham, Variety, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Workers are divided over whether the drink is harmless or a breach of professional etiquette—and recruiters are split, too.
    — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of harmless
Adjective
  • The old worst dressed lists could be cruel, sexist, culturally ignorant, and spectacularly misguided.
    — Derek C. Blasberg, Vanity Fair, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Mamdani’s ignorant opinion illustrates Kissinger’s concern, relying on emotional display rather than the facts.
    — Daniel Kolkey, Oc Register, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of ignorant
Noun
  • His new novel, Vigil, tells the story of an angel tasked with helping a billionaire feel a degree of remorse for his actions before crossing over.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026
  • The $8 million pre-seed round was led by Silent Ventures, with participation from Riot Ventures, Harpoon, Reveille VC, Hillwood, Mana Ventures, Climate Capital, Alumni Ventures, and angel investors.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of angel
Adjective
  • Yet this particular Jason underscores the tragedy playing out for all the others, who are blameless and worthy, guilty only of not being the original.
    — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The Red Sox weren’t exactly blameless in the Devers saga, and the whole thing could’ve been avoided with better communication between player and franchise.
    — Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 20 Aug. 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 30 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on innocent

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 epistemic

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

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

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List
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
image of the words cracker fly and sale arranged in a triangle with the word fire in the middle
Triple Play Quiz Find the word that pairs with each of the three g...
See All