as in innocent
free from guilt or blame
the state's lieutenant governor was the only member of the administration who could claim to have remained lily-white during the scandal
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Recent Examples of lily-white
Forced to leave their home in Shreveport, Louisiana, and her civil rights advocacy behind, Charlotte arrives in Derry apprehensive about the lily-white town and unsettling vibes that seem to blanket everything.
—
Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 15 Dec. 2025
In the mid-2010s, the movie industry lurched haltingly toward greater representation after social-media campaigns called attention to the overwhelming dominance of lily-white stories and awards shows.
—Andrew R. Chow, Time, 7 Nov. 2025
The broadening Carlile spoke of was evident in the Americanas’ increasing diversity in what was once considered a lily-white genre, as well as the growth of interest among young people for new old souls like Jesse Welles.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 11 Sep. 2025
To the naked eye, the sport’s lily-white facade is deeply pervasive.
—Essence, 17 Oct. 2024
The suburbs have long and deep histories of racial exclusion, creating the lily-white neighborhoods that benefited generations of white families.
—Becky Nicolaides / Made By History, TIME, 15 Aug. 2024
Riding was a lily-white sport there, too, but there wasn’t the same kind of ceiling on what was possible for a Black man.
—Ryan Lenora Brown, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 June 2024
Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 15 Dec. 2025
In the mid-2010s, the movie industry lurched haltingly toward greater representation after social-media campaigns called attention to the overwhelming dominance of lily-white stories and awards shows.
—Andrew R. Chow, Time, 7 Nov. 2025
The broadening Carlile spoke of was evident in the Americanas’ increasing diversity in what was once considered a lily-white genre, as well as the growth of interest among young people for new old souls like Jesse Welles.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 11 Sep. 2025
To the naked eye, the sport’s lily-white facade is deeply pervasive.
—Essence, 17 Oct. 2024
The suburbs have long and deep histories of racial exclusion, creating the lily-white neighborhoods that benefited generations of white families.
—Becky Nicolaides / Made By History, TIME, 15 Aug. 2024
Riding was a lily-white sport there, too, but there wasn’t the same kind of ceiling on what was possible for a Black man.
—Ryan Lenora Brown, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 June 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lily-white
Adjective
-
These armed hostilities have maimed, mutilated and killed millions of human beings — many of them innocent civilians.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 May 2026
-
Becerra may have been an innocent victim, but $120,000 a year is a lot of money to pay someone to babysit a largely unused stack of cash.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
The duo settled this week ahead of their courtroom showdown and issued a needle-thread media statement, which was a meaningless, blameless word salad with hedge sauce.—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
8 May 2026
-
Yet while Vitello is not blameless in the Giants’ poor start, there aren’t many buttons Vitello can push when the team’s foundational players are collectively underperforming.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
Rather than focus on a single irreproachable hero, Mendonça Filho dilates his lens to take in an expansive world.—
Michael Snyder,
The Atlantic,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Classics from the diasporic Vietnamese repertoire are included, too, with irreproachable instructions.—
Scott Hocker,
TheWeek,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Chick lit was flippant and fizzy and fun, above all, as effervescent and guiltless as a vodka soda.—
Hillary Busis,
Vanity Fair,
4 May 2026
-
And how many guiltless prisoners there are here!—
Alexei Navalny,
The New Yorker,
11 Oct. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Lily-white.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lily-white. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
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