innocence
n. uncountablen. the state of being not guilty of a crime. It also describes a person who is simple and honest because they do not know about the bad things in the world.
n. the state, quality, or fact of being free from guilt or sin, especially through lack of knowledge of evil. Often used to describe the lack of legal guilt in a judicial context.
The lawyer worked hard to prove the man's innocence.
The documentary explores how new DNA evidence finally established the prisoner's innocence after twenty years behind bars.
The novel mourns the loss of childhood innocence as the protagonist is forced to confront the harsh social realities of the adult world.
Inherited from Middle English innocence, from Old French innocence, inocence, from Latin innocentia. Doublet of innocency. Displaced native Old English unsċyld.
Frequently paired with the preposition 'of' when referring to a specific act or crime.