innocent

/ˈɪnəsənt/
noun
  1. A person who is not guilty of a crime or wrongdoing.
    • The war killed many innocents who had nothing to do with the conflict.
    • The lawyer fought to prove that his client was an innocent.
    • In the chaos, the police tried to protect the innocents caught in the middle.
  2. A person who is naive or lacks experience of the world.
    • He played the role of a wide-eyed innocent in the movie.
    • Don't be such an innocent — not everyone has good intentions.
    • She was a political innocent, unaware of the corruption around her.
adjective
  1. Not guilty of a crime or wrongdoing.
    • The jury found the defendant innocent of all charges.
    • She was innocent of stealing the money, and the real thief was caught later.
    • He maintained his innocent stance throughout the trial.
  2. Having no experience or knowledge of the unpleasant or evil things in life; naive.
    • Living in a small town, he had an innocent view of the world.
    • The child gave an innocent smile, not understanding the joke.
    • She was so innocent that she believed every story her older brother told her.
  3. Not intended to cause harm or offense; harmless.
    • Her innocent question about his job made everyone laugh.
    • The game seemed innocent enough, but it quickly became competitive.
    • It was just an innocent comment, but he took it the wrong way.