[syn: purity, pureness, sinlessness, innocence, whiteness]
3. a state or condition of being innocent of a specific crime or offense;
- Example: "the trial established his innocence"
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Innocence \In"no*cence\, n. [F. innocence, L. innocentia. See
Innocent.]
1. The state or quality of being innocent; freedom from that
which is harmful or infurious; harmlessness.
[1913 Webster]
2. The state or quality of being morally free from guilt or
sin; purity of heart; blamelessness.
[1913 Webster]
The silence often of pure innocence
Persuades when speaking fails. --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
Banished from man's life his happiest life,
Simplicity and spotless innocence! --Milton.
[1913 Webster]
3. The state or quality of being not chargeable for, or
guilty of, a particular crime or offense; as, the
innocence of the prisoner was clearly shown.
[1913 Webster]
4. Simplicity or plainness, bordering on weakness or
silliness; artlessness; ingenuousness. --Chaucer. Shak.
Syn: Harmlessness; innocuousness; blamelessness; purity;
sinlessness; guiltlessness.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
innocence
n 1: the quality of innocent naivete [syn: artlessness,
innocence, ingenuousness, naturalness]
2: the state of being unsullied by sin or moral wrong; lacking a
knowledge of evil [syn: purity, pureness, sinlessness,
innocence, whiteness]
3: a state or condition of being innocent of a specific crime or
offense; "the trial established his innocence" [ant: guilt,
guiltiness]