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
Megan Collins, People.com, 12 Jan. 2025
Analisa Corr, a 53-year-old Australian woman who claims her father is former Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., pleaded innocent to charges accusing her of causing a drunken disturbance on a Jetstar domestic flight between Hobart and Sydney.
—Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 12 Jan. 2025
Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 10 Sep. 2024
By contrast, the Westerners who Russia freed were seen by the U.S. as innocents — journalists and peaceful opponents to the Putin regime.
—Tracy Wilkinson, Los Angeles Times, 2 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for innocent 
Adjective
Even as her innocent crush leads her down increasingly menacing paths, Rosie tunes Nina out.
—Megan Collins, People.com, 12 Jan. 2025
Analisa Corr, a 53-year-old Australian woman who claims her father is former Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., pleaded innocent to charges accusing her of causing a drunken disturbance on a Jetstar domestic flight between Hobart and Sydney.
—Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 12 Jan. 2025
Noun
East is her foil, a naive innocent raised within the strictures of Mormonism, which she's never stopped to question.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 10 Sep. 2024
By contrast, the Westerners who Russia freed were seen by the U.S. as innocents — journalists and peaceful opponents to the Putin regime.
—Tracy Wilkinson, Los Angeles Times, 2 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for innocent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for innocent
Adjective
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Our second most-clicked cleaning story of the year focuses on restoring silver jewelry, and the difference between sterling silver and pure silver.—
Katelyn Squiers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
24 Jan. 2025
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The diffuser uses 100% pure essential oils to fragrance your home, and its matte ceramic finish fits into any space like a piece of sophisticated decor.—
Annie Blackman,
Allure,
24 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Powell repeatedly has said the Fed is unaffected by political factors.—
Paul Davidson,
USA TODAY,
24 Jan. 2025
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Smaller cruise lines that regularly dock in Nice or anchor in the bay of Villefranche-sur-Mer including Sea Cloud Cruises, Windstar, and Atlas Ocean Voyages remain unaffected.—
Chrissie McClatchie,
Travel + Leisure,
23 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Although this Cinderella is thankfully not a naive maiden, her storyline occasionally gets muddled by one too many loose threads.—
Lovia Gyarkye,
The Hollywood Reporter,
25 Jan. 2025
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There is a very innocent, naive quality to life, and there’s a horror and a sickness as well.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
16 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Many people receive similar messages that seem harmless at first glance but could potentially be part of a more sinister scheme.—
Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report,
Fox News,
19 Jan. 2025
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Colon Cancer Though having smelly farts is usually harmless, excessive gas may be a sign of colon cancer.—
Anna Giorgi,
Verywell Health,
17 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Steph Curry was ignorant of the NBA history at stake.—
Marcus Thompson II,
The Athletic,
3 Jan. 2025
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Russia, Iran, and many other countries criticize U.S. military interventions as arrogant, ignorant of local context, and unable to fashion either stable regimes or effective security structures.—
Alexander Baunov,
Foreign Affairs,
26 Dec. 2024
Noun
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According to Trump, Zelensky is not 'an angel' and would fail preventing this war from happening.—
Gordon G. Chang,
Newsweek,
24 Jan. 2025
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The round also saw participation from firms Point Nine and Air Street Capital and angel investors like Mehdi Ghissassi, formerly of Google DeepMind; Rubin Ritter, formerly of Zalando and others.—
Meghan Hall,
Sourcing Journal,
24 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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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
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In the wake of Franco’s death, in 1975, came the pacto del olvido, or pact of oblivion—a determination, enshrined in the Amnesty Law of 1977, to brush away the vestiges of former crimes and hence to move onward with a guiltless transition to democracy.—
Anthony Lane,
The New Yorker,
24 Dec. 2021
Adjective
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Birmingham, Alabama, home with a sense of genuine, collected warmth.—
Betsy Cribb Watson,
Southern Living,
18 Jan. 2025
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The information the source supplies must be newsworthy and give readers genuine insight.—
Maria Abi-Habib,
New York Times,
17 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near innocent
Cite this Entry
“Innocent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/innocent. Accessed 31 Jan. 2025.
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