innocent
gb/ˈɪnəsənt/ us/ˈɪnəsənt/
B1
English
~ 7300
ártatlan, naiv, ártalmatlan, vétlen, naiv ember, tapasztalatlan ember
B1
1
ártatlan
B1
Usage pattern:
[someone] is innocent of [crime/wrongdoing]
The jury found her innocent of all the charges.
Az esküdtszék minden vádpontban ártatlannak találta.
He insists he is innocent and had nothing to do with the robbery.
Ragaszkodik hozzá, hogy ártatlan, és semmi köze nem volt a rabláshoz.
Several years later, new DNA evidence proved the prisoner was innocent.
An innocent man spent ten years in jail before the mistake was discovered.
The lawyer argued that his client was completely innocent of any wrongdoing.
Learner examples
The court said she was innocent.
A bíróság kimondta, hogy ártatlan.
He is innocent of the crime.
Ártatlan a bűncselekmény elkövetésében.
They proved that the man was innocent.
Many people in the town believe he is innocent.
The judge found the two boys innocent.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *innocent from* instead of *innocent of* when talking about crimes or wrong actions. Correct: "He is innocent of the crime," not "He is innocent from the crime." Learners also sometimes confuse this meaning with "naive"; here the focus is on not having done something wrong, not on lack of experience.
Meaning
not guilty of a crime or wrongdoing
Collocations
innocent man
|innocent woman
|innocent person
|innocent of all charges
|prove [someone] innocent
|declare [someone] innocent
Synonyms
not guilty (Direct legal opposite of 'guilty', used mainly in legal or formal contexts.)
Antonyms
guilty (Describes someone who has committed the crime or bad act or is responsible for it.)
Themes
law
|ethics
|society
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Not having done a bad or illegal thing that people say you did.
Not guilty of a crime, accusation, or wrongdoing; not responsible for a bad or illegal act.
B2
2
Usage pattern:
[someone] seems/looks [innocent]
She was only eighteen, still very innocent and trusting.
Még csak tizennyolc éves volt, még nagyon ártatlan és bizalommal teli.
He has this innocent look that makes people want to protect him.
Olyan ártatlan tekintete van, hogy az emberek óvni akarják.
The movie shows an innocent young woman arriving alone in a big, dangerous city.
As a child she was completely innocent of the hatred around her.
I was far from the innocent teenager my parents believed me to be.
Learner examples
The little boy is very innocent.
A kisfiú nagyon ártatlan.
She looks so innocent when she smiles.
Olyan ártatlannak tűnik, amikor mosolyog.
When I was young, I was innocent and did not know about bad things.
He acted like an innocent child.
Her parents think she is innocent, but she knows many things.
Common mistake:
Learners may use this sense when they really mean "not guilty" in a legal situation. For example, "He is innocent" could mean he has a pure character or that he did not commit a crime; context is important. To make the legal meaning clear, add a phrase like "of the crime" or "of all charges." Also, using it about adults in a sexual sense can sometimes sound old-fashioned or judgmental; 'naive' or 'inexperienced' may fit better.
Meaning
not experienced or morally pure
Collocations
innocent child
|seem innocent
|look innocent
|sound innocent
|sexually innocent
|wide-eyed and innocent
Synonyms
naive (Suggests a lack of experience and a tendency to trust too easily; can sound slightly negative or critical.)
Antonyms
worldly (Describes someone with a lot of experience of life, including its bad or unpleasant sides.)
Themes
personality
|emotions
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Not knowing much about bad things in the world, especially about sex or how people can be cruel or dishonest.
Lacking experience of the bad or unpleasant things in life, especially in a sexual or moral sense; showing simplicity or moral purity, sometimes in a naive way.
B2
3
ártatlan
B1
ártalmatlan
B2
Usage pattern:
[an] innocent [remark/question/mistake]
It was just an innocent question, but he took it the wrong way.
Csak egy ártatlan kérdés volt, de ő rossz néven vette.
What started as an innocent joke quickly became a serious argument.
Ami ártatlan viccnek indult, gyorsan komoly veszekedéssé fajult.
She claimed it was an innocent mistake and apologized immediately.
At first, his message seemed innocent enough, but later it felt creepy.
They thought it was an innocent game, not realizing how dangerous it could become.
Learner examples
It was an innocent mistake.
Ártatlan tévedés volt.
I asked an innocent question, but my boss was angry.
Ártatlan kérdést tettem fel, de a főnököm dühös lett.
We were only having innocent fun.
His comment sounded innocent to me.
The child made an innocent joke.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse this meaning with "naive." "Innocent joke" or "innocent question" usually means it was not meant to hurt or hide anything, not that the speaker is childlike or naive. Also, do not say *innocent from harm*; use "harmless" or "safe" instead.
Meaning
harmless or without bad intention
Collocations
innocent remark
|innocent question
|innocent joke
|innocent mistake
|seem innocent enough
|a relatively innocent activity
Synonyms
harmless (Focuses more on the lack of bad effects; 'innocent' also hints that no bad intention was present.)
Antonyms
offensive (Describes words or behavior that are likely to upset or anger people.)
Themes
daily_life
|communication
|behavior
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Not hurting anyone and not trying to do anything bad or secret.
Not likely to harm, upset, or offend anyone; done or said without bad or secret intentions.
B2
4
Usage pattern:
[innocent] [bystanders/civilians/victims]
Several innocent bystanders were injured in the shooting.
Több vétlen járókelő megsérült a lövöldözésben.
The attack killed dozens of innocent civilians.
A támadásban több tucat ártatlan civil vesztette életét.
Both sides claim to protect innocent people caught in the conflict.
The argument pulled in several completely innocent parties.
We must make sure that no innocent person is punished for this crime.
Learner examples
An innocent bystander was hurt in the fight.
Egy vétlen járókelő megsérült a verekedésben.
Many innocent people died in the war.
Sok ártatlan ember halt meg a háborúban.
The bomb killed innocent civilians.
The company does not want to punish innocent workers.
Police must protect innocent people.
Common mistake:
Learners may not realize this sense often implies the person suffered even though they did nothing wrong. In news reports, "innocent civilians" or "innocent bystanders" almost always means people who were not part of the fighting or crime but were hurt.
Meaning
not involved but harmed or affected
Collocations
innocent bystander
|innocent civilians
|innocent victims
|innocent people
|innocent parties
|kill innocent civilians
Synonyms
uninvolved (Emphasizes not taking part in the action; 'innocent' often also suggests unfair suffering.)
Antonyms
responsible (Describes those who caused or helped cause the harmful event.)
Themes
law
|conflict
|society
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Not part of the bad action but still hurt or affected by it.
Not involved in causing a harmful, violent, or immoral event, especially while being harmed or affected by it.
NOUN
B2
5
ártatlan
B1
Usage pattern:
[protect/free] the innocent
Our justice system should punish the guilty, not the innocent.
Az igazságszolgáltatásnak a bűnösöket kellene büntetnie, nem az ártatlanokat.
Several organizations work to free the innocent who have been wrongly convicted.
Több szervezet dolgozik azon, hogy kiszabadítsa azokat az ártatlanokat, akiket tévesen ítéltek el.
In war, it is often the innocent who suffer most.
He claimed to be fighting for the innocent and the weak.
The film focuses on the voices of the innocent in the conflict.
Learner examples
The law should protect the innocent.
A törvénynek védenie kell az ártatlanokat.
Sometimes the innocent are punished.
Néha az ártatlanokat büntetik meg.
A group helps the innocent who are in prison.
In war, the innocent often die.
The police must find the guilty and help the innocent.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes forget that as a noun, "innocent" is often used with "the" to talk about a group: "the innocent". Without context, saying "He is an innocent" can sound literary or slightly old-fashioned.
Meaning
a person who is not guilty
Collocations
the innocent
|protect the innocent
|free the innocent
|punish the innocent
|the innocent and the guilty
Synonyms
blameless person (Stresses moral or legal lack of blame; less common as a set phrase than "the innocent.")
Antonyms
the guilty (Refers to people who have done the crime or bad act.)
Themes
law
|society
|ethics
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A person who did not do a bad or illegal thing.
A person who has not committed a crime or wrongdoing, especially when compared to people who have or when such a person is harmed or punished.
NOUN
C1
6
Usage pattern:
[be] an innocent
He was no helpless innocent; he knew exactly what he was doing.
Nem volt tehetetlen naiv ember; pontosan tudta, mit csinál.
When she arrived in the city, she was a complete innocent, easily impressed by everything.
Amikor megérkezett a városba, teljesen naiv és tapasztalatlan volt, és minden könnyen lenyűgözte.
They treated him like an innocent who needed to be protected from the truth.
In the story, a young innocent is drawn into a world of crime.
He plays the wide-eyed innocent, but he is actually very clever.
Learner examples
When she came to the big city, she was an innocent.
Amikor a nagyvárosba került, még teljesen tapasztalatlan volt.
He is not a simple innocent; he understands business very well.
Nem valami egyszerű naiv ember; nagyon jól ért az üzlethez.
They see him as an innocent and want to protect him.
In the film, a young innocent meets a dangerous man.
She was an innocent who trusted everyone.
Common mistake:
As a noun with this meaning, "innocent" is countable: you say "an innocent" or "innocents," not "many innocent" without a noun. Also, this sense is less common and can sound literary; in everyday speech, people often say "naive person" or "very naive" instead.
Meaning
a naive or inexperienced person
Collocations
a helpless innocent
|a wide-eyed innocent
|an innocent abroad
|treat [someone] like an innocent
Synonyms
naive person (Common description; does not carry the slightly literary or emotional tone that "innocent" can have.)
Antonyms
cynic (Describes someone who expects people to be selfish or dishonest, the opposite attitude of an "innocent.")
Themes
personality
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A person who does not know how hard or bad the world can be, and can be easy to trick or hurt.
A person, especially a young or sheltered one, who has little experience of the bad or dishonest side of life and is therefore easily surprised, used, or hurt.
Grammar
Dictionary form
innocent
IPA
GB/ˈɪnəsənt/
US/ˈɪnəsənt/
Syllables & stress
in - no - cent (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (in)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: innocent
Noun
- Base: innocent
- Plural: innocents
Word family
Forms
innocents
noun
Core family
innocence
noun B1
innocently
adverb B2
Expressions
an innocent abroad
1/ən ˈɪnəsənt əbɹˈɔd/
idiom
literary
naive person in unfamiliar world
A person who is very naive and is in a place or situation that is new and possibly dangerous for them.
Examples
- He arrived in New York like an innocent abroad, shocked by everything he saw.
- The documentary follows an innocent abroad trying to start a business in a tough market.
- She felt like an innocent abroad during her first year in the big city.
an innocent bystander
1/ən ˈɪnəsənt bˈaɪstˌændɚ/
fixed phrase
uninvolved person who was nearby
A person who is near when something bad happens but is not part of it and did not cause it.
Examples
- An innocent bystander was hit by a stray bullet.
- Several innocent bystanders were injured in the crash.
- The explosion killed two workers and one innocent bystander.
innocent fun
1/ˈɪnəsənt fˈʌn/
fixed phrase
harmless enjoyment
Fun that does not hurt anyone and is not seriously bad or wrong.
Examples
- The kids were just having some innocent fun in the park.
- It was all innocent fun until someone got hurt.
- Their jokes started as innocent fun but went too far.
innocent mistake
1/ˈɪnəsənt mɪstˈeɪk/
fixed phrase
error without bad intention
A mistake that was not made to hurt anyone or to cheat; it happened without bad plans.
Examples
- It was an innocent mistake, and she corrected it right away.
- He claimed it was just an innocent mistake on the form.
- I’m sorry, that was an innocent mistake on my part.
innocent party
1/ˈɪnəsənt pˈɑɹti/
fixed phrase
side that is not at fault
The person or group in an argument, accident, or problem who did not cause it.
Examples
- The judge ruled that the company was the innocent party in the dispute.
- We need to protect the innocent party from financial loss.
- In this accident, the cyclist was clearly the innocent party.
innocent until proven guilty
1/ˈɪnəsənt ʌntˈɪl pɹˈuvən ɡˈɪlti/
fixed phrase
treated as not guilty at first
The idea in law that a person is considered not guilty until there is enough proof that they did the crime.
Examples
- Remember, he is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
- The judge reminded the jury that the defendant is innocent until proven guilty.
- Many people forget the principle that everyone is innocent until proven guilty.
plead innocent
1/plˈid ˈɪnəsənt/
fixed phrase
say in court you are not guilty
To say officially in court that you did not do the crime.
Examples
- The suspect will plead innocent at tomorrow’s hearing.
- She chose to plead innocent to all charges.
- His lawyer advised him not to plead innocent.
the innocent and the guilty
1/ðə ˈɪnəsənt ˈænd ðə ɡˈɪlti/
fixed phrase
innocent people and guilty people
Innocent people and guilty people, spoken of as two opposite groups.
Examples
- In war, the innocent and the guilty often suffer together.
- The law must clearly separate the innocent and the guilty.
- The story shows how hard it can be to tell the innocent and the guilty apart.