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

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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

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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 His ideas align with Hinton’s, and by 2013 the two of them—along with a third partner, Fedor Fedotov’s Alex Krizhevsky—find themselves at Google, innocently pursuing their research. — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 7 Oct. 2026 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for innocently

Adverb

And incumbents can sincerely believe important work remains unfinished.

— Nancy Forster-Holt, The Conversation, 6 Oct. 2026
In a scene at the beginning of Episode 8, actor Siena Agudong, who plays Sue, expresses Flanagan’s belief that sincerely openhearted people like Carrie are met with rejection and seen as alien in a world where cynicism is our default mode.

— Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 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

First Proof’s rules require any entrants to be openly available, so OpenAI’s blockbuster new model was excluded.

— Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 14 Oct. 2026
Hollywood should be a city where Jewish residents can live openly, safely and proudly, without intimidation, hatred or antisemitism.

— Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of openly

Adverb

Based purely on average revenue per user, a key metric for telecom companies, Jio's discount to Airtel seems justified, but Jio wants to be seen as a tech company and not just a utility player.

— Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 15 Oct. 2026
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and other officials have ruled out the deployment of combat troops, stressing that the pact is purely defensive.

— ABC News, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of purely

Adverb

The goal of the dinners is not to persuade people one way or another but to learn how people genuinely respond to what AI can do, and to understand how these tools might align or collide with local grief practices.

— Lissa Soep, Vox, 17 Oct. 2026
Between the appliances and the design details throughout, we were all impressed by how much thought the hosts had put into making the houses feel both beautiful and genuinely comfortable to stay in.

— Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of genuinely

Adverb

In one scene, a padlock appears to lock without a key or even being properly closed.

— Britta Miller, The Washington Examiner, 14 Oct. 2026
For this leaner, meaner Deafheaven, stylistic variety takes a backseat to speed and chaos, and when properly executed, subtle melodic or rhythmic tweaks wield the heft of the more tectonic transitions in the band’s defining songs.

— Patrick Lyons, Pitchfork, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of properly

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innocent

innocently

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“Innocently.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/innocently. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of innocently

adverb

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