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Benign vs Innocent - What's the difference?

benign | innocent |

As adjectives the difference between benign and innocent

is that benign is kind; gentle; mild while innocent is free from guilt, sin, or immorality.

As a noun innocent is

those who are innocent; young children.

benign

English

Adjective

(en-adj)
  • Kind; gentle; mild.
  • * (of a climate or environment) mild and favorable
  • * not harmful to the environment: [in combination] an ozone-benign refrigerant.
  • (medicine) Not posing any serious threat to health; not particularly aggressive or recurrent.

    • Antonyms

    * malign * malignant

    Derived terms

    * benignly * benignant * benignity * benign neglect * benign tumor

    innocent

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Free from guilt, sin, or immorality.
  • * 1606 , , IV. iii. 16:
    • to offer up a weak, poor, innocent lamb
  • Bearing no legal responsibility for a wrongful act.
  • Naive; artless.
  • * 1600 , , V. ii. 37:
    • I can find out no rhyme to / 'lady' but 'baby' – an innocent rhyme;
  • (obsolete) Not harmful; innocuous; harmless.
    • an innocent medicine or remedy
  • * Alexander Pope
    • The spear / Sung innocent , and spent its force in air.
  • Having no knowledge (of something).
  • Lacking (something).
  • Lawful; permitted.
    • an innocent trade
  • Not contraband; not subject to forfeiture.
    • innocent goods carried to a belligerent nation

    Synonyms

    * (free from blame or guilt) sackless * (free from sin) pure, untainted * See also

    Antonyms

    * (bearing no legal responsibility for a wrongful act) guilty, nocent

    Related terms

    * innocence * innocently * innocuous

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • Those who are innocent; young children.
    • The slaughter of the innocents was a significant event in the New Testament.
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