innocence
innocence — noun
1. the legal condition of someone who has not committed the criminal act they were
the legal condition of someone who has not committed the criminal act they were charged with
The forensic evidence proved the defendant's innocence beyond any reasonable doubt.
collocation: prove + [someone's] innocence
Nicholas has always maintained his innocence and refused to accept a plea deal.
collocation: maintain + innocence
Amira's lawyer presented new documents to establish her innocence before the judge.
The judge told the jury to presume the defendant's innocence unless the prosecution proved otherwise.
collocation: presumed + innocence
Defne spent two years in prison before new witnesses finally confirmed her innocence.
- prove innocence
- maintain innocence
- establish innocence
- protest innocence
- presumed innocence
- declare innocence
- guiltlessness
more formal and less common; used chiefly in legal writing
- blamelessness
focuses on moral fault rather than legal guilt; broader in scope
- guilt
the direct opposite — the fact of having committed the crime
- culpability
formal term for legal responsibility for wrongdoing
Usage Note
Uncountable — never used as 'an innocence' or 'innocences'. Frequently paired with verbs like 'prove', 'maintain', 'establish', and 'protest'.
Common Mistakes
2. the quality of having little experience of life, especially of its unpleasant or
the quality of having little experience of life, especially of its unpleasant or cruel aspects, so that one tends to trust others too easily
Renata gazed at the crowded night market with the innocence of a small child.
collocation: innocence of a [child]
Sofie's innocence led her to trust a man who was clearly lying to her.
Liang remembered the innocence of his childhood, before he knew about poverty and war.
collocation: innocence of [childhood/youth]
Amihan's innocence was obvious from the way she believed every kind word the visitor said.
Kian missed the simple innocence of the village life he had left behind.
collocation: innocence of [village/rural] life
- childhood innocence
- lose one's innocence
- innocence of youth
- wide-eyed innocence
- innocence of a child
- naivety
very similar in meaning, but can carry a slightly more negative judgement of foolishness
- guilelessness
emphasises honesty and lack of deceit rather than inexperience
- purity
more about moral or spiritual cleanness; broader than 'innocence'
- worldliness
having a lot of experience of life, often in a shrewd or sophisticated way
- cynicism
the belief that people are motivated purely by self-interest — opposite of the trusting quality of innocence
- experience
neutral opposite; having knowledge of life's realities
Usage Note
Uncountable — does not take a plural form. Often modified by nouns like 'childhood' or 'youth' (e.g. 'childhood innocence'). The phrase 'lose one's innocence' is a common fixed expression meaning to discover the unpleasant truths of adult life.
Common Mistakes
in all innocence
idiomDoing or saying something without realizing it might upset or offend someone.
Maya mentioned the broken vase in all innocence, not knowing it was valuable.
Did you really think he was lying, or did he speak in all innocence?