| n. | 1. | The state or quality of being innocent; freedom from that which is harmful or infurious; harmlessness. |
| 2. | The state or quality of being morally free from guilt or sin; purity of heart; blamelessness. | |
| 3. | The state or quality of being not chargeable for, or guilty of, a particular crime or offense; | |
| 4. | Simplicity or plainness, bordering on weakness or silliness; artlessness; ingenuousness. |
| Noun | 1. | innocence - the quality of innocent naivete |
| 2. | innocence - the state of being free from sin or moral wrong; lacking a knowledge of evil Synonyms: sinlessness, purity | |
| 3. | innocence - a state or condition of being innocent of a specific crime or offense; "the trial established his innocence" Antonyms: guilt, guiltiness - the state of having committed an offense |
INNOCENCE, The absence of guilt.
2. The law presumes in favor of innocence, even against another
presumption of law: for example, when a woman marries a second husband
within the space of twelve months after her husband had left the country,
the presumption of innocence preponderates over the presumption of the
continuance of life. 2 B. & A. 386 3 Stark. Ev. 1249. An exception to this
rule respecting the presumption of innocence has been made in the case of
the publication of a libel, the principal being presumed to have authorized
the sale, when a libel is sold by his agent in his usual place of doing
business. 1 Russ. on Cr. 341; 10 Johns. R. 443; Bull. N. P. 6; Greenl. Ev.
Sec. 36. See 4 Nev. & M. 341; 2 Ad. & Ell. 540; 5 Barn. & Ad. 86; 1 Stark.
N. P. C. 21; 2 Nov. & M. 219.