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
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3
as in unaffected
free from any intent to deceive or impress others
an innocent offer to sing before the gathering
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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
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5
as in harmless
not causing or being capable of causing injury or hurt
good-natured teasing that is just innocent fun
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6
as in ignorant
not informed about or aware of something
a woman who seems entirely innocent of good manners and common courtesy
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as in angel
an innocent or gentle person
an innocent who is often puzzled by and prey to the evils of the world
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of innocent
Nick Pinkerton, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
Many local critics say instead innocent people are being left terrorized.
—Kinsey Crowley, USA Today, 24 Oct. 2025
Jenny Wiegand, Outside, 27 Aug. 2025
Thus, the probability of innocents being killed or wounded in these deployments is high.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for innocent
Adjective
Ferrara, an innocent no longer, is angling to prize $25,000 out of the Horse’s coffers to finance his first feature.
—Nick Pinkerton, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
Many local critics say instead innocent people are being left terrorized.
—Kinsey Crowley, USA Today, 24 Oct. 2025
Noun
After a new kind of dawn patrol to remove our tired but awake—and vocal—kids from the innocents in the campsites around us, my husband and I called uncle.
—Jenny Wiegand, Outside, 27 Aug. 2025
Thus, the probability of innocents being killed or wounded in these deployments is high.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for innocent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for innocent
Adjective
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Such is life in Marthaland, where homemaking tasks are plucked from the realm of everyday drudgery and elevated to a pure pursuit of excellence.—
Hannah Goldfield,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
-
To this end, while the loss of two aircraft in short order seems suspicious, it could be explained through pure chance.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Yahoo Newscontinued that when prey struck the web perpendicularly, the waves produced were unaffected by the stabilimenta.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
2 Nov. 2025
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There’s also Alani (True Whitaker), an unaffected nepo baby who just wants everyone to get along, and Charlie (Jordan Firstman), an aspiring designer who is carving his own path after deciding the traditional routes weren’t working for him.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
2 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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But anyone imagining that this problem will be resolved by taking games beyond international borders is extremely naive.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
-
In contrast, the late-’90s and early-2000s pop culture era—glittery, naive, and commercially loud—feels like an antidote to endless doom-scrolling.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
So that seemingly innocent Machu Picchu stamp—one of the most popular souvenir stamps around—could be viewed not as a harmless keepsake but as an unauthorized alteration that might jeopardize your ability to travel.—
Lauren Dana Ellman,
Travel + Leisure,
25 Oct. 2025
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This time, two small polyps were removed and found to be harmless.—
Bryant Stamford,
Louisville Courier Journal,
23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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In fact, the term itself was an epithet throughout the founding era, a way to describe ignorant and easily deceived popular majorities, perpetually vulnerable to demagogues.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Oct. 2025
-
International students are close to entirely ignorant of Canadian history and politics.—
Dónal Gill,
The Dial,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
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According to Heuisler, after 21 years in barrels the whiskey stood at about 110 proof, and only about a quarter of the liquid actually remained after decades of the angels drinking their share.—
Jonah Flicker,
Robb Report,
2 Nov. 2025
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He can also be seen in movie theaters in Lionsgate’s angel/body-swap comedy Good Fortune directed by and starring Aziz Ansari, Reeves reprised his role as John Wick is that franchise’s spinoff Ballerina back in June.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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And how many guiltless prisoners there are here!—
Alexei Navalny,
The New Yorker,
11 Oct. 2024
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Many fans found its generally joyous treatment of Miranda’s guiltless affair with Che, a nonbinary comedian, in the first season off-putting.—
Lili Loofbourow,
Washington Post,
21 June 2023
Adjective
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Town & Country takes its characters and their struggles at face value and, despite some gentle needling, celebrates their genuine camaraderie and familial commitment.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Nov. 2025
-
According to the filmmakers, the character’s journey toward genuine courage forms the emotional core of the story.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
4 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Innocent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/innocent. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
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