innocency

/'inəsns/ Cách viết khác : (innocency) /'inəsnsi/

Thân thiện

Definition

1. Noun:
   • The state or quality of being innocent; freedom from sin, guilt, or moral wrong. This is the primary meaning, referring to a lack of guilt or corruption.
   • The state of being free from sin or moral wrong; purity. This sense emphasizes moral or spiritual purity.
   • Lack of knowledge or experience of evil or wrong; simplicity. This refers to a naive or childlike lack of worldly knowledge.
   • Harmlessness; the quality of not intending to cause harm. This describes an inherent lack of harmful intent or effect.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The jury was convinced of the defendant's innocency. (The jury believed the defendant was not guilty.)
  • She possessed a childlike innocency that charmed everyone. (She had a charming, naive simplicity.)
  • The innocency of his intentions was clear to all. (It was obvious his plans were harmless.)

Advanced Usage

• "The innocency of the dove": A biblical or literary phrase symbolizing pure, harmless simplicity.
  • He advised them to be wise as serpents but to retain the innocency of the dove.
• Used in legal or formal contexts to argue for a defendant's lack of guilt, though "innocence" is now far more common.

Variants and Related Words

• Innocence (n): The standard and overwhelmingly more common modern form of "innocency," with identical meanings.
• Innocent (adj/n): Not guilty of a crime; harmless; a person who is innocent.
  • He was found innocent. She is an innocent in these matters.
• Innocently (adv): In a manner showing innocence.
  • She smiled innocently.

Synonyms

• Guiltlessness: The state of being free from guilt.
• Blamelessness: The quality of being free from blame or fault.
• Purity: Freedom from immorality, especially of a sexual nature.
• Naivety/Naiveté: Lack of experience, wisdom, or judgment.
• Harmlessness: The inability or unwillingness to cause harm.

Notes on Usage

• "Innocency" is an archaic variant. In contemporary English, "innocence" is the universally preferred and standard term for all meanings.
• The use of "innocency" today is very rare and may be found in poetic, religious, or deliberately old-fashioned contexts. Learners should use "innocence" in all modern contexts (spoken, written, formal, informal).

Học thuật

Noun

1. an innocent quality or thing or act
   • the innocencies of childhood