1
as in pure
free from sin
an innocent baby
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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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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of innocent
Brittany Wallman, Miami Herald, 2 Jan. 2025
Crowds of joyous revelers had gathered on New Orleans’ historic Bourbon Street in the heart of the city’s French Quarter to ring in the new year when a pickup truck plowed into them, leaving at least 14 innocent people dead and injuring dozens more.
—Nicole Acosta, People.com, 2 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
The book’s theme was that an innocent person can be sentenced to death.
—Brittany Wallman, Miami Herald, 2 Jan. 2025
Crowds of joyous revelers had gathered on New Orleans’ historic Bourbon Street in the heart of the city’s French Quarter to ring in the new year when a pickup truck plowed into them, leaving at least 14 innocent people dead and injuring dozens more.
—Nicole Acosta, People.com, 2 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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Looking at total equivalent units shifted, which include streams and not just pure purchases, the Blackpink musician’s project moved 33,300 copies.Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 12 Jan. 2025
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Detailing the extraordinary journey of double bassist Orin O'Brien, who was the first full-time female member of the New York Philharmonic, this short film captures the glorious world of rehearsals, music classes, tiny apartments, and pure music geekery.Debby Wolfinsohn, EW.com, 11 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Sundance is rolling towards us and so far our packaging has been unaffected.Dominic Patten, Deadline, 13 Jan. 2025
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Sound bake-offs in the Bay Area, New York and London are unaffected, while hair and makeup and visual effects bake-offs will be replaced with virtual discussions.Matt Brennan, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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By my naive estimation, our home sat at least three blocks south of the street no wildfire could realistically cross in any event other than the biblical apocalypse.Mikey O'Connell, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Jan. 2025
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Zelensky called it naive to say Putin wants to finish the war, and urged Trump to demonstrate strength in any talks with the Russian leader.Laura Kelly, The Hill, 10 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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But sometimes letting your kid win at a harmless, just-for-fun board game or game of catch might not be quite as high stakes.Stephanie Ganz, Parents, 8 Jan. 2025
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To the untrained eye, venomous snakes may look indistinguishable from harmless ones.Brian Otieno, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Anyone who says she wasn't properly screened is either ignorant or has an agenda.Dan Perry, Newsweek, 2 Jan. 2025
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Who would go out of their way to remain ignorant in the face of an informative lecture on bunker oil?Rachel Kushner, Harper's Magazine, 2 Dec. 2024
Noun
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The company’s existing investors Greycroft, Correlation Ventures and MVP Ventures also joined in the round — along with notable angel investors including Gokul Rajaram and Ken Pilot.Arthur Zaczkiewicz, WWD, 13 Jan. 2025
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Amit Jain, finance/strategy expert, angel investor, leads Dhruva Advisors USA & USACFO, driving M&A, cross-border investments & acquisitions One of the most difficult parts of the fundraising exercise for entrepreneurs is negotiating the valuation discussion.Amit Jain, Forbes, 10 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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When someone in a group chat does have a genuine problem, the dynamic typically doesn’t allow for its discussion.Matthew Schnipper, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2025
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Some delighted in watching the influencer from the polarizing Kardashian family feel less-than-welcome at an awards ceremony honoring genuine artistic talent.Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 6 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near innocent
Cite this Entry
“Innocent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/innocent. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.
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