Standard Lemma guide

guiltless

adj · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈɡɪltləs/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: G IH1 L T L IH0 S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Free from guilt; innocent.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: blameless, irreprehensible, clean, clean-handed, clean as a hound's tooth, clean as a whistle, clear, dovelike, guiltless, innocent, innocent as the babe unborn, innocent as the child unborn, nonblameworthy, not guilty, offenseless, pure, righteous, sackless, sinless, unblameable, unblameworthy, uncalculating, unguilty

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Without experience or trial; unacquainted (with).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Not encumbered with; free from.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: humorous

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adjective

Meaning 4

free from evil or guilt

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • an innocent child
  • the principle that one is innocent until proved guilty

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: innocent, clean-handed

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Middle English giltles, gultles, gyltles, from Old English *gyltlēas, equivalent to guilt + -less. Compare Old English sċyldlēas (“guiltless”).

Across languages

Translations

17 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: невинен (nevinen) — Free from guilt — see also innocent
  • Bulgarian: невиновен (nevinoven) — Free from guilt — see also innocent
  • Esperanto: senkulpa — Free from guilt — see also innocent
  • Finnish: syytön — Free from guilt — see also innocent
  • Finnish: viaton — Free from guilt — see also innocent
  • German: schuldfrei — Free from guilt — see also innocent
  • German: schuldlos — Free from guilt — see also innocent
  • Ancient Greek: ἀναίτιος (anaítios) — Free from guilt — see also innocent
  • Ancient Greek: ἀθῷος (athōîos) — Free from guilt — see also innocent
  • Hungarian: bűntelen — Free from guilt — see also innocent
  • Hungarian: ártatlan — Free from guilt — see also innocent
  • Latin: innocens — Free from guilt — see also innocent
  • Latin: castus — Free from guilt — see also innocent
  • Māori: harakore — Free from guilt — see also innocent
  • Turkish: suçsuz — Free from guilt — see also innocent
  • Ottoman Turkish: صوچسز (suçsuz) — Free from guilt — see also innocent
  • Ottoman Turkish: كناهسز (günahsız) — Free from guilt — see also innocent