inocencia
Lemma Details
Translation: innocence; naivety; guiltlessness
Part of Speech: noun
Etymology: From Latin 'innocentia', derived from 'in-' (not) + 'nocens' (harmful, guilty). The English cognate 'innocence' shares the same Latin root. The concept relates to being free from guilt or sin, or lacking knowledge of evil. The root 'noc-' appears in words like 'nocive' (harmful) and 'noxious'.
Commonality: 70%
Guessability: 90%
Register: neutral
Mnemonics
- Think 'in-no-sense' - someone with innocence has 'no sense' of evil or wrongdoing.
- Remember the English word 'innocence' - they look and sound very similar.
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Synonyms
Antonyms
Cultural Context
In Spanish-speaking countries, 'inocencia' is often associated with childhood and religious contexts. The Day of the Holy Innocents (Día de los Santos Inocentes) on December 28 is celebrated in many Spanish-speaking countries, similar to April Fool's Day, with pranks and jokes.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: While 'inocencia' refers to being free from guilt or sin, or having a lack of worldly experience, 'ignorancia' specifically refers to a lack of knowledge or education.
Confused word:
Su ignorancia sobre el tema era evidente.
His ignorance about the subject was evident.
Notes: Both words can sometimes imply naivety, but in different contexts.
Mnemonic: 'Inocencia' starts with 'ino-' like 'innocent', while 'ignorancia' starts with 'igno-' like 'ignore' or 'ignorant'.
Explanation: 'Inocencia' is the state of being innocent, while 'indulgencia' means forgiveness, leniency, or the act of indulging.
Confused word:
El juez mostró indulgencia con el acusado.
The judge showed leniency toward the accused.
Notes: Both words have religious connotations but in different contexts.
Mnemonic: 'Indulgencia' contains 'dulge' which sounds like 'indulge' - to give in to someone's wishes.