1
as in pure
free from sin
an innocent baby
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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
Jordan Greene, People.com, 18 Aug. 2025
This was in response to an innocent question about when the once imminent merger between the PGA Tour and LIV would actually be complete.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Aug. 2025
Julia M. Klein, The Atlantic, 11 July 2025
Cemeteries, too, will do a land office business, not only with dead gangsters, but innocents too, caught in the cross fire.
—Walter E Block, Orange County Register, 22 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for innocent
Adjective
That outlook became even more poignant after New Year's Day, when a pickup truck plowed into the crowds on New Orleans’ historic Bourbon Street in the heart of the city’s French Quarter, leaving at least 14 innocent people dead and injuring dozens more.
—Jordan Greene, People.com, 18 Aug. 2025
This was in response to an innocent question about when the once imminent merger between the PGA Tour and LIV would actually be complete.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Aug. 2025
Noun
The junta swooped down on militants, dissidents, and innocents alike, conveying them in green Ford Falcons to secret sites without formal charges.
—Julia M. Klein, The Atlantic, 11 July 2025
Cemeteries, too, will do a land office business, not only with dead gangsters, but innocents too, caught in the cross fire.
—Walter E Block, Orange County Register, 22 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for innocent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for innocent
Adjective
-
Your browser does not support the video tag. DeMario Douglas, WR, NE: This is a pure volume play, but Stefon Diggs’ health is in question — supposedly ready for Week 1, but how ready is still a question, as is the rapport level with Drake Maye.—
Jake Ciely,
New York Times,
27 Aug. 2025
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Just be sure to find a high-quality, pure product without additives.—
Helen Carefoot,
Flow Space,
27 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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While administrative staff experienced a 7% wage decline, clinician wages were unaffected.—
Ge Bai,
Forbes.com,
28 Aug. 2025
-
Parents often complain when school is canceled due to snow and power outages in one part of the county while another part may remain relatively unaffected.—
Rebecca Noel,
Charlotte Observer,
21 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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These findings show that that argument may have been naive.—
Emma Hinchliffe,
Fortune,
19 Aug. 2025
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But Trump's instincts, if naive, are not entirely wrong: a tighter economic vise could move Putin to concessions.—
John Davenport,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Seemingly harmless details, like your child’s favorite candy or video game, can be used improperly in the wrong hands.—
Cody Godwin,
USA Today,
22 Aug. 2025
-
While many non-natives are harmless, some spread quickly and disrupt natural ecosystems.—
Deryn Davidson,
The Conversation,
19 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Joe is willfully ignorant—to national news and a lethal pandemic—but Aster didn’t write the character as a one-dimensional MAGA standee.—
Madison Bloom,
Pitchfork,
17 July 2025
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Yet Americans are surprisingly ignorant about our past.—
John C. Goodman,
Forbes.com,
29 July 2025
Noun
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Jatin also extends this vision in other ventures, such as his work as an angel investor in developer tool companies, giving him broader visibility into evolving market trends and the demands of software teams — as well as how those two might intersect.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
30 Aug. 2025
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Back at the table, angel Miguel reminds Liv that no one is perfect, Kaylor is really going through it, and perhaps this is not the time nor place for this conversation.—
Olivia Crandall,
Vulture,
22 Aug. 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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By avoiding these five common pitfalls, businesses can transform their customer data from a costly liability into a genuine competitive advantage that drives measurable growth and innovation.—
Bernard Marr,
Forbes.com,
22 Aug. 2025
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That’s not the start of a bad joke, but a genuine potential answer to this question.—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
22 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Innocent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/innocent. Accessed 1 Sep. 2025.
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