innocence

noun

in·​no·​cence ˈi-nə-sən(t)s How to pronounce innocence (audio)
Synonyms of innocencenext
1
a
: freedom from legal guilt of a particular crime or offense
b
: freedom from guilt or sin through being unacquainted with evil : blamelessness
c
: lack of knowledge : ignorance
… written in entire innocence of the Italian language.—E. R. Bentley
d(1)
: freedom from guile or cunning : simplicity
(2)
: lack of worldly experience or sophistication
e
: chastity
2
: one that is innocent
3
: bluet

Synonyms of innocence

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of innocence in a Sentence

He vows that he will prove his innocence in court. the trusting innocence of childhood The age of innocence was over.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Nolan felt the actor, who is now 30 but often gets cast as much younger characters, brought the mixture of innocence and maturity required for someone who grows emotionally from a boy to a man over the course of the story. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 14 July 2026 So far, eight people have successfully proved their innocence under the program’s requirements. — Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 14 July 2026 Macron declared July 12 to be a national day of commemoration of Dreyfus’ innocence, starting this year. — Masha MacPherson, Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2026 Burkhart chose not to testify in the guilt-innocence trial phase or at the punishment hearing. — Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for innocence

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Time Traveler
The first known use of innocence was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing innocence

Browse Nearby Words

innless
innocence
innocency
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Innocence.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/innocence. Accessed 15 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

innocence

noun
in·​no·​cence ˈin-ə-sən(t)s How to pronounce innocence (audio)
: the quality or state of being innocent

Legal Definition

innocence

noun
in·​no·​cence ˈi-nə-səns How to pronounce innocence (audio)
: freedom from fault or guilt under the law: as
a
: the state of not being guilty of a particular crime or offense compare guilt
b
: the state of not being guilty of an act that constitutes a ground for divorce
c
: ignorance on the part of a party to a transaction of facts that would lead a person of ordinary prudence to make inquiries

More from Merriam-Webster on innocence

Nglish: Translation of innocence for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All