innocence
gb/ˈɪnəsəns/ us/ˈɪnəsəns/
B1
English
~ 4000
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
state
1
lack of guilt or wrongdoing
When someone has not done something wrong or illegal.
Usage pattern:
[someone]'s innocence
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'innocence' with 'ignorance'; 'innocence' means not guilty, while 'ignorance' means not knowing something.
Synonyms
blamelessness (More formal term emphasizing absence of responsibility for harm or wrongdoing.)
Antonyms
guilt (The state of having committed a crime or done something wrong.)
Collocations
prove innocence
|maintain innocence
|declare innocence
|protest innocence
|presume innocence
Themes
law
|justice
|ethics
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The jury believed in her innocence and acquitted her.
- He has always maintained his innocence despite the accusations.
- New evidence proved the prisoner's innocence after ten years.
Learner examples
- She says she is innocent.
- He told the police about his innocence.
- The court found her innocence.
Noun
B2
property
2
moral purity or goodness
When someone is very good and has not done bad things.
Usage pattern:
[someone]'s innocence
Synonyms
purity (Emphasizes freedom from moral corruption or sin.)
Antonyms
corruption (Moral decay or dishonesty, opposite of moral purity.)
Collocations
childlike innocence
|pure innocence
|protect innocence
Themes
ethics
|character
|religion
|emotions
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The novel captures the innocence of youth before the harsh realities of life appear.
- Her face had an expression of complete innocence.
- They tried to protect the children's innocence as long as possible.
Learner examples
- The child has great innocence.
- Her smile shows her innocence.
- We must keep the innocence of children.
Noun
B2
state
3
lack of worldly experience
When someone does not have much experience of life and its problems.
Usage pattern:
[someone]'s innocence about [something]
Synonyms
naivety (Often implies an overly trusting or simplistic view due to inexperience.)
Antonyms
worldliness (Experience and knowledge of life, often implying sophistication or cynicism.)
Collocations
naive innocence
|loss of innocence
Themes
life
|youth
|emotions
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- His political innocence made him an easy target for manipulation.
- She looked at him with the innocence of someone who had never been betrayed.
- The war marked the end of their innocence.
Learner examples
- He showed his innocence about politics.
- She spoke with innocence about the city.
- The trip ended his innocence about the world.
Grammar
Dictionary form
innocence
IPA
GB/ˈɪnəsəns/
US/ˈɪnəsəns/
Syllables & stress
in - no - cence (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (in)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: innocence
- Plural: innocence
Word family
Core family
innocent
adjective B1
innocently
adverb B2
Expressions
in all innocence
1/ˈɪn ˈɔl ˈɪnəsəns/
fixed phrase
without knowing it may cause harm/offense
When you do something without meaning to cause harm or offense.
Examples
- She asked the question in all innocence, not realizing it was rude.
- He made the comment in all innocence, unaware of its impact.
loss of innocence
1/lˈɔs əv ˈɪnəsəns/
fixed phrase
end of purity or naivety through experience
When someone changes from being pure or naive to knowing about bad things in life.
Examples
- For many, the war brought a sudden loss of innocence.
- The film tells the story of a young girl's loss of innocence.
presumption of innocence
1/pɹɪzˈʌmpʃən əv ˈɪnəsəns/
fixed phrase
formal
legal idea: treated as not guilty
The legal idea that a person is considered not guilty until a court decides they are guilty.
Examples
- The presumption of innocence is a key part of the justice system.
- The presumption of innocence is a cornerstone of the criminal justice system.
- Under the presumption of innocence, the defendant does not need to prove their own case.
- Media coverage should respect the presumption of innocence when reporting on suspects.