adj. & n.
--adj.
1. free from moral wrong; sinless.
2 (usu. foll. by of) not guilty (of a crime etc.).
3 a simple; guileless; na{iuml}ve. b pretending to be guileless.
4 harmless.
5 (foll. by of) colloq. without, lacking (appeared, innocent of shoes).
--n.
1. an innocent person, esp. a young child.
2 (in pl.) the young children killed by Herod after the birth of Jesus (Matt. 2:16).
Phrases and idioms:
Innocents' (or Holy Innocents') Day the day, 28 Dec., commemorating the massacre of the innocents.
Derivatives:
innocence n. innocency n. innocently adv.
Etymology: ME f. OF innocent or L innocens innocent- (as IN-(1), nocere hurt)