guiltless vs innocent what difference

what is difference between guiltless and innocent

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡɪltləs/

Etymology

From Middle English giltles, gultles, gyltles, from Old English *gyltlēas, equivalent to guilt +‎ -less. Compare Old English sċyldlēas (“guiltless”).

Adjective

guiltless (comparative more guiltless, superlative most guiltless)

1. Free from guilt; innocent.
2. Without experience or trial; unacquainted (with).

Related terms

• guiltlessly
• guiltlessness

Translations

References

• guiltless in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• guiltless in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.

English

Etymology

From Middle English innocent, from Old French inocent, borrowed from Latin innocens (“harmless, inoffensive”), from in- (“not”) + nocēns, present participle of noceō (“to hurt”). Displaced native Old English unsċyldiġ.

Alternative forms

• hinnocent

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɪnəsn̩t/

Adjective

innocent (comparative more innocent, superlative most innocent)

2. Free from guilt, sin, or immorality.
   • 1606, William Shakespeare, Macbeth, IV. iii. 16.

     to offer up a weak, poor, innocent lamb to appease an angry god

   • 2018 September 26, Brian Karem, “Bethesda Resident Describes “Culture Of Privilege” Leading To Exploitation And Abuse” in The Montgomery County Sentinel[1]

     “These were not innocent times,” she said.

3. Bearing no legal responsibility for a wrongful act.
4. Without wrongful intent; accidental or in good faith.

5. Naive; artless.
   • 1600, William Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing, V. ii. 37:

     I can find out no rhyme to / ‘lady’ but ‘baby’ – an innocent rhyme;

6. (obsolete except medicine) Not harmful; innocuous; harmless; benign.
   • 2006, David J. Driscoll, Fundamentals of Pediatric Cardiology (page 43)

     Although an innocent murmur is not an obstacle to participation in sports and exercise, a pathologic murmur may necessitate restrictions on the child’s physical activity.

7. (with of) Lacking (something), or knowledge of it.
   • 1983, Judith Martin, Miss Manners’ Guide to Excruciatingly Correct Behavior, xvii:

     Her only slight comfort is that they are not as bad as the new litter of Awful children who resulted from this marriage, Lisa, Adam, Jason, and Kristen. By all reports, they are entirely innocent of manners of any kind.

8. Lawful; permitted.

9. Not contraband; not subject to forfeiture.

Synonyms

• (free from blame or guilt): sackless, guiltless
• (free from sin): pure, untainted
• (naive): See also Thesaurus:naive

Antonyms

• (bearing no legal responsibility for a wrongful act): guilty, nocent
• (naive): perverse

Related terms

• innocence
• innocently
• innocuous

Translations

Noun

innocent (plural innocents)

1. One who is innocent, especially a young child.

2. (obsolete) A harmless simple-minded person; an idiot.

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin innocens, innocentem (“harmless, inoffensive”).

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ent

Adjective

innocent (masculine and feminine plural innocents)

1. innocent

Derived terms

• innocentment

Related terms

• innocència
• innocentada

Further reading

• “innocent” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “innocent” in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana.
• “innocent” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “innocent” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

French

Etymology

From Old French inocent, borrowed from Latin innocens, innocentem (“harmless, inoffensive”), from in- (“not”) + nocēns, present participle of noceō (“to hurt”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /i.nɔ.sɑ̃/

Adjective

innocent (feminine singular innocente, masculine plural innocents, feminine plural innocentes)

1. innocent

Derived terms

Related terms

• innocence
• innocenter

Noun

innocent m (plural innocents, feminine innocente)

1. an innocent (innocent person)
2. (figuratively) a naive person
3. (Quebec) a stupid or foolish person.

Further reading

• “innocent” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

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