What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Gentle vs Innocent - What's the difference?

gentle | innocent |

As adjectives the difference between gentle and innocent

is that gentle is tender and amiable; of a considerate or kindly disposition while innocent is free from guilt, sin, or immorality.

As nouns the difference between gentle and innocent

is that gentle is (archaic) a person of high birth while innocent is those who are innocent; young children.

As a verb gentle

is to become gentle.

gentle

English

Adjective

(er)
  • Tender and amiable; of a considerate or kindly disposition.
  • Soft and mild rather than hard or severe.
  • *{{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham)
    • , title=(The China Governess) , chapter=3 citation , passage=Here the stripped panelling was warmly gold and the pictures, mostly of the English school, were mellow and gentle in the afternoon light.}}
  • Docile and easily managed.
    • a gentle horse
  • Gradual rather than steep or sudden.
  • Polite and respectful rather than rude.
  • (archaic) Well-born; of a good family or respectable birth, though not noble.
  • * Johnson's Cyc.
    • British society is divided into nobility, gentry, and yeomanry, and families are either noble, gentle , or simple.
  • * Milton
    • the studies wherein our noble and gentle youth ought to bestow their time

    Synonyms

    * (polite) friendly, kind, polite, respectful

    Antonyms

    * (polite) rude

    Derived terms

    * gentle craft * gentleness * gentleman * gentlewoman * gently

    Verb

    (gentl)
  • to become gentle (rfex)
  • to ennoble (rfex)
  • (animal husbandry) to break; to tame; to domesticate (rfex)
  • To soothe; to calm. (rfex)

    • Noun

    (en noun)
  • (archaic) A person of high birth.
  • * Shakespeare
    • Gentles , methinks you frown.
  • (archaic) A maggot used as bait by anglers (rfex)
  • A trained falcon, or falcon-gentil.

    • 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.
    ----