innocent (innocents plural )
1 adj If someone is innocent, they did not commit a crime which they have been accused of.
oft ADJ of n (Antonym: guilty)
He was sure that the man was innocent of any crime..., The police knew from day one that I was innocent.
2 adj If someone is innocent, they have no experience or knowledge of the more complex or unpleasant aspects of life.
(=naive)
They seemed so young and innocent...
An innocent is someone who is innocent., n-count
Ian was a hopeless innocent where women were concerned.
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innocently adv usu ADV with v
The baby gurgled innocently on the bed.
3 adj Innocent people are those who are not involved in a crime or conflict, but are injured or killed as a result of it.
usu ADJ n
All those wounded were innocent victims...
4 adj An innocent question, remark, or comment is not intended to offend or upset people, even if it does so.
(=harmless)
It was a perfectly innocent question.