- innocence
- noun1 being not guilty of a crime, etc.ADJECTIVE▪ totalVERB + INNOCENCE▪ declare, proclaim, profess▪
The prisoners passionately proclaimed their innocence in front of the jury.
▪ claim, plead▪She claimed total innocence of all charges.
▪ maintain▪He has maintained his innocence throughout the trial.
▪ protest▪Hayes has protested his innocence throughout the case.
▪ demonstrate, establish, prove▪ be convinced of▪She was convinced of her son's innocence.
PHRASES▪ in all innocence▪I asked her the question in all innocence. I didn't know it was going to upset her.
▪ the presumption of innocence (law)2 lack of knowledge/experienceADJECTIVE▪ childish, childlike, wide-eyed, youthful▪ childhood▪ lost▪ complete, pure▪ sweet▪ injured▪She replied to her father's accusations in tones of injured innocence.
▪ apparent▪ false, feigned, mockVERB + INNOCENCE▪ lose▪He had lost the innocence of childhood.
▪ retain▪ take advantage of▪She had taken advantage of his innocence.
▪ feignPREPOSITION▪ in your innocence▪In her innocence, she had allowed the man into her house.
▪ with … innocence▪He grinned with apparent innocence.
▪ innocence about▪There is an innocence about the story.
PHRASES▪ an air of innocence▪There was a touching air of innocence about the boy.
▪ a look of innocence, the picture of innocence▪‘You cheated!’ ‘I what?’ asked David, the picture of innocence (= pretending to look innocent).
▪ a state of innocence
Collocations dictionary. 2013.
