Meaning 1
Freedom from responsibility for a wrongdoing or offense.
Reach for it when naming a conclusion that someone did not commit the alleged act
The timestamped records established her innocence before the hearing began.
Meaning 2
A trusting lack of experience with harm, deceit, or complexity.
Reach for it when describing openness that has not yet been hardened by experience
The children's innocence let them ask why the old division had ever seemed necessary.
| Meaning 1 | Meaning 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| everyday | ||
| warm |
| |
| professional | ||
| formal |
| |
| literary |
professional
exoneration
Fits when a process has formally cleared the accused person
Careful Exoneration is an outcome after accusation, while innocence exists beforehand.
professional
noninvolvement
Fits when evidence shows the person did not take part
Careful Noninvolvement may be accidental and says nothing about other responsibility.
formal
blamelessness
Fits when absence of moral fault is the exact point
Careful Blamelessness can concern one consequence without proving legal innocence.
everyday
naivety
Fits when limited experience explains simple trust
Careful Naivety often criticizes poor judgment and loses innocence's gentle tone.
literary
guilelessness
Fits when absence of cunning or deceit is admired
Careful Guilelessness can describe a candid expert, not only an inexperienced person.
literary
Fits when freedom from moral contamination is the elevated image
Careful Purity can moralize ordinary experience and carries cultural baggage.
presumption of innocence
The policy restates the presumption of innocence during every investigation.
prove innocence
The new records helped prove innocence without relying on reputation.
childhood innocence
The novel recalls childhood innocence without pretending the village was perfect.
declare innocence
The panel can declare innocence only after reviewing the complete record.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Vealhurl, Southern England accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Updated
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