innocence
UK[ˈɪnəsəns]US[ˈɪnəsəns]
n
the state of not being guilty of a crime or other wrong act
n
lack of knowledge and experience of the world, especially of evil or unpleasant things
Morpheme Breakdown
in
noc
ence
in
not
noc
harm
ence
state/quality
Etymology
the word "innocence" entered english in the 14th century from old french, which itself derived from latin innocentia, meaning "harmlessness, blamelessness". this latin noun is built from the adjective innocens, which combines the negative prefix in- ("not") with the present participle of nocēre ("to harm"). the core semantic logic is therefore "a state of not harming". this original legal and moral sense of being free from causing injury or guilt broadened over time. by the late 16th century, it developed a secondary, more figurative meaning describing a lack of worldly knowledge, implying a purity that is "harmless" because it is untouched by experience.
Analysis
Structure: in (not) + noc (harm) + ence (state/quality)
in: latin origin, a prefix meaning "not" or "without".
noc: from latin nocēre, meaning "to harm" or "to injure".
ence: latin suffix -entia, forming nouns indicating a state or quality.
Examples
the new evidence proved his innocence beyond any doubt.
she has a childlike innocence that is very charming.
the story is about the loss of innocence in a harsh world.