From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishinnocencein‧no‧cence /ˈɪnəsəns/ ●●○ noun [uncountable] 1 SCLINNOCENT/NOT GUILTYthe fact of being not guilty of a crime OPP guilt Can you prove your innocence?protest/maintain your innocence (=say repeatedly that you are not guilty) The prisoners continued to protest their innocence.2 EXPERIENCEDlack of experience of life or of knowledge of the bad things in the world In our innocence, we believed everything we were told. the innocence of childhood3 → in all innocence
Examples from the Corpus
innocence• Lawyers are trying to prove their client's innocence.protest/maintain your innocence• He's been on remand for twenty months and always protested his innocence.• The four have maintained their innocence of the charges.• Both men maintain their innocence and are fighting extradition.• It will be said that children should maintain their innocence and should be protected from such distressing subjects as bereavement.• They protested their innocence, and referred to the fact that no charges had been brought against them.• She wasn't going to protest her innocence again, but it was time this scene with its explosive potential was ended.• He is pleasant, quite soft-spoken and a personable gentleman who maintains his innocence. 