English

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Etymology

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Inherited from Middle English [Term?], from Old French inocence, from Latin innocentia. Displaced native Old English unsċyld.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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innocence (countable and uncountable, plural innocences)

  1. Absence of responsibility for a crime, tort, etc.
    Synonym: unguilt
    Antonym: guilt
    Her attorney managed to convince the jury of her innocence.
  2. Lack of understanding about sensitive subjects such as sexuality and crime.
    Synonym: naivety
    In his innocence, he offered the stranger to bring the package to Paris, never suspecting it contained drugs.
  3. Lack of ability or intention to harm or damage.
    Synonym: harmlessness
    Antonym: harmfulness
    Tests have demonstrated the innocence of this substance.
    • 1967, Barbara Sleigh, Jessamy, Sevenoaks, Kent: Bloomsbury, published 1993, →ISBN, page 96:
      His unruly hair was slicked down with water, and as Jessamy introduced him to Miss Brindle his face assumed a cherubic innocence which would immediately have aroused the suspicions of anyone who knew him.
    • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:innocence.
  4. (obsolete) Imbecility; mental deficiency.

Derived terms

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Translations

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French

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Etymology

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Inherited from Old French inocence, a borrowing from Latin innocentia.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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innocence f (plural innocences)

  1. innocence

Derived terms

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Further reading

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