INNOCENTLY Synonyms: 80 Similar and Opposite Words

innocently

adverb

as in sincerely

without any attempt to impress by deception or exaggeration "You look nice," she commented innocently

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in chastely

with purity of thought and deed very young children approach the world so innocently

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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 innocently The scoring started innocently enough, Stockton marching the team 79 yards on an 11-play workmanlike touchdown drive. — Mike Griffith, AJC.com, 27 Sep. 2026 Widowed and nearing 60, Tony enjoys a quiet but contented routine, suddenly injected with anxiety when, during the school day, one of his young pupils innocently notes that his right hand looks frozen. — Guy Lodge, Variety, 17 Sep. 2026 Homer, of course, is perhaps the most lovable dimwit ever created, and his dynamic with Bart — the quick-to-anger suburban dad, the innocently mischievous adolescent son — is pure Americana. — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Sep. 2026 The Network Started With A Missing File The origins of the incident started innocently. — Ron Schmelzer, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026 Their amalgamation with the other color produces a degradation to which no lover of his country, no lover of excellence in the human character can innocently consent. — Ann Manov, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 2026 It was innocently posted by motorsports reporter Cole Cusumano, who was there covering the race. — Sean Joseph Outkick, FOXNews.com, 23 June 2026 The deciding goal started innocently enough on a Marcel Sabitzer corner kick, albeit after the World Cup’s still-odd hydration breaks. — Cam Inman, Mercury News, 17 June 2026 The play started innocently enough with Tab Ramos bouncing a one-hop pass to Paul Caligiuri, who played the ball off his chest 40 yards from goal. — Los Angeles Times, 7 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for innocently

Adverb

Press notes from Particle6 encourage reporters to engage sincerely with Norwood and maintain there is no script or pre-written answers.

— Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 14 Sep. 2026
Most of these programs are offered through wholesale channels rather than the retail bank on the corner, which is why the loan officer at a national depository may sincerely believe no such option exists.

— Karen Koehler, Miami Herald, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of sincerely

Adverb

The solution is a lot of morphine and a lot of rest, both of which Cathy undertakes with Adam constantly (and chastely) by her side.

— Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026
Take The Music Lesson, a study of a young woman playing the virginal, closely watched by a gentleman, which Graham-Dixon reads as a depiction of Collegiants chastely performing and singing psalms.

— Clare Bucknell, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 2026

Definition of chastely

Adverb

Recent studies have proposed that these fluctuations are not purely random but occur within what is known as a chaotic attractor — a set of possible storm states within which the hurricane can evolve unpredictably.

— Chanh Kieu, Washington Post, 2 Oct. 2026
The only downside is that he’s seen as a purely comic figure by some in the industry.

— Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of purely

Adverb

Triumph Motorcycles has spent decades turning a once-fading British marque into a genuinely global name.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 3 Oct. 2026
Whereas Jake, the powerful warlock who’s got so much going for him, has darker qualities, in some ways, than Ollie, who is a genuinely great guy and is now trying to make the best of [his circumstances].

— Selome Hailu, Variety, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of genuinely

Adverb

Areas at high risk of flooding and where few people are insured tend to be poorer, experts said, as are areas where FEMA's flood maps don't properly convey the severity of the risk or mandate that enough people buy coverage.

— MICHAEL PHILLIS, Arkansas Online, 30 Sep. 2026
Suitcases rolling away, too many bags and handles not fitting the hand properly all became part of the design brief for Series 3.

— Kanika Talwar, Footwear News, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of properly

Adverb

Its students arrive morally outraged, a priori puritans, while its professors are enervated and dissatisfied.

— Zain Khalid, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026
There are games, tests and temptations designed to test the competitors physically, mentally, and morally before one walks away with the prize.

— Peter White, Deadline, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of morally

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innocent

innocently

innocents

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“Innocently.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/innocently. Accessed 4 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of innocently

adverb

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