innocently

adverb

1
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
2
as in chastely
with purity of thought and deed very young children approach the world so innocently

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 innocently 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 There’s a particularly tragic scene where Natalia, lured on holiday by Elsa, spots a small child innocently giggling at the table across from her at dinner. — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 15 May 2026 For the person who innocently took her rugby kit to the hospital four years ago, representing her country would feel like a just reward for Balogun’s perseverance and strength of will. — George Ramsay, New York Times, 7 May 2026 Her pictures, which start innocently enough from the puppy-dog idea, get increasingly demeaning. — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 20 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for innocently
  1. sincerely
  2. chastely
  3. openly
  4. purely
  5. genuinely
  6. properly
  7. naively
  8. morally
Adverb
  • It’s routinely thrown around online, both sincerely and in jest, to describe anything that feels inauthentic.
    — Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026
  • This is not a question of whether David Ellison sincerely intends to make more films and invest in content.
    — Joseph M. Singer, HollywoodReporter, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of sincerely
Adverb
  • 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
  • The Tate brothers, who openly describe themselves as misogynists, built a global following by promoting a lavish, hypermasculine lifestyle through their social media empire.
    — Jonny Hallam, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The Combating Terrorism Center at West Point reports that veteran foreign jihadists now openly call al-Sharaa a sellout.
    — Jason M. Blazakis, The Conversation, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of openly
Adverb
  • Note that credit bidding really does not purely involve a credit of a part of the judgment held against the debtor.
    — Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Tswalu was acquired by the philanthropic Oppenheimer family purely for environmental conservation.
    — Paul Jebara, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of purely
Adverb
  • One such example is the OlloBot OlloNi SS1, a cyber pet designed to make users feel heard, seen, and genuinely accompanied.
    — Lyssanoel Frater, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Applying retinol to genuinely wet skin increases penetration and, with it, irritation.
    — Ellie Davis, Vogue, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of genuinely
Adverb
  • Knowing what to look for and how to properly analyze a vehicle during a test drive can be the difference between choosing your next daily driver that'll last decades, or leaving a vehicle on the lot.
    — Charles Singh, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
  • During the trial, the defense called witnesses who described Clancy as a dedicated parent who suffered from extreme mental illness and was not properly treated by her medical providers.
    — Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of properly
Adverb
  • Unfortunately, one extra week of rest is not sufficient to rectify this problem (even assuming — naively — that NYRA kicks the Belmont back a week to accommodate our shift).
    — Stephen J. K. Walters, Baltimore Sun, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Her parents naively thought these nuns would look after their kid for a couple of weeks.
    — Zachary Fletcher, USA Today, 7 July 2026
Definition of naively
Adverb
  • But a fissure remains between those actors who stay morally opposed to cloning, and those who embrace this new reality.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Bardem plays Miguel, a celebrated architect tempted by a morally dubious but hugely lucrative commission to build a secret survivalist bunker for a reclusive tech billionaire, Andrew (Paul Dano).
    — Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of morally

Browse Nearby Words

innocent
innocently
innocents
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Cite this Entry

“Innocently.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/innocently. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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