- the fact of not being guilty of a crime, etc.
- She protested her innocence (= said repeatedly that she was innocent).
- This new evidence will prove their innocence.
Extra ExamplesTopics Law and justicec1- Hayes has protested his innocence throughout the case.
- She has maintained her innocence throughout the trial.
- I asked her the question in all innocence. I didn't know it was going to upset her.
- He claimed total innocence of all charges.
- She replied to her father's accusations in tones of injured innocence.
- He was convinced of his son's innocence.
- The prisoners passionately proclaimed their innocence in front of the jury.
- The solicitors were convinced of his innocence and urged him to appeal against the conviction.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- total
- declare
- proclaim
- profess
- …
- in all innocence
- the presumption of innocence
Want to learn more?
Find out which words work together and produce more natural sounding English with the Oxford Collocations Dictionary app.
- lack of knowledge and experience of the world, especially of evil or unpleasant things
- Children lose their innocence as they grow older.
- In her innocence, she agreed to go back with him to his house.
Extra Examples- There were claims that the whole nation had somehow lost its innocence.
- There was a touching innocence about the child's request.
- The story is about a child's loss of innocence.
- In her innocence, she had stopped to help a girl who seemed to be injured.
- I felt I had returned to a state of almost child-like innocence.
- There was a touching air of innocence about the boy.
- There is an innocence about the story.
- She had taken advantage of his innocence.
- In her innocence, she had allowed the man into her house.
- He had lost the innocence of childhood.
- She grinned with apparent innocence.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- childish
- childlike
- wide-eyed
- …
- lose
- retain
- take advantage of
- …
- in your innocence
- with… innocence
- innocence about
- …
- an air of innocence
- a look of innocence
- the picture of innocence
- …
Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French, from Latin innocentia, from innocent- ‘not harming’ (based on nocere ‘injure’).
Idioms
See innocence in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee innocence in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic Englishin all innocence
- without knowing that something is likely to offend or upset somebody
- I asked if she was married in all innocence.
Check pronunciation:
innocence