From Latin 'innocens' (not harmful), from 'nocere' (to harm) — connected at the deepest level to PIE *nek- (death).
Not guilty of a crime or offense; free from moral wrong; lacking experience of the world.
From Old French 'innocent,' from Latin 'innocēns' (harmless, blameless), from 'in-' (not) + 'nocēns' (harmful, guilty), the present participle of 'nocēre' (to harm, to hurt), from PIE *nek- (death, to perish). An innocent person is literally 'not harmful.' The same root 'nocēre' gives 'nocuous,' 'noxious,' 'nuisance,' 'obnoxious,' and 'innocuous.' The connection to death (PIE
The word 'innocent' is built on Latin 'nocēre' (to harm), from PIE *nek- (death). The same root of death connects 'innocent' to 'nectar' — the drink of the gods that defeats death (nek- + tar-, to overcome), 'necropolis' (city of the dead), and 'pernicious' (thoroughly deadly). So 'innocent' literally means 'not dealing