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Guilty vs Unguilty - What's the difference?

guilty | unguilty |

As adjectives the difference between guilty and unguilty

is that guilty is responsible for a dishonest act while unguilty is (archaic) not guilty; innocent.

As a noun guilty

is (legal) a plea by a defendant who does not contest a charge.

guilty

English

Adjective

(er)
  • Responsible for a dishonest act.
  • :
  • (lb) Judged to have committed a crime.
  • :
  • Having a sense of guilt.
  • :
  • *
    • , title=(The Celebrity), chapter=8 , passage=I corralled the judge, and we started off across the fields, in no very mild state of fear of that gentleman's wife, whose vigilance was seldom relaxed. And thus we came by a circuitous route to Mohair, the judge occupied by his own guilty thoughts, and I by others not less disturbing.}}
  • Blameworthy.
  • :
  • *
  • *:At twilight in the summereat the luncheon crumbs. Mr. Checkly, for instance, always brought his dinner in a paper parcel in his coat-tail pocket, and ate it when so disposed, sprinkling crumbs lavishly—the only lavishment of which he was ever guilty —on the floor.

    • Synonyms

    * (l) * (l) (dialectal)

    Antonyms

    * not guilty * innocent

    Related terms

    * guilty as sin

    Noun

    (guilties)
  • (legal) A plea by a defendant who does not contest a charge.
  • (legal) A verdict of a judge or jury on a defendant judged to have committed a crime.
  • One who is declared guilty of a crime.
  • * {{quote-book, 1997, , Everyone Is Entitled to My Opinion citation
    • , passage=The not guilties walked out and went to work if they had jobs; the guilties were hauled away to spend maybe thirty days on the county farm growing cabbage.}}

    unguilty

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • (archaic) Not guilty; innocent.
  • *{{quote-book, year=1544-1595, author=Edward Fairfax (1560-1635);, title=Jerusalem Delivered, chapter=, edition= citation
    • , passage=XLVI "Tell me what will you do? why would you stain Your noble hands in our unguilty blood? }}
  • *{{quote-book, year=1566, author=William Adlington, title=The Golden Asse, chapter=, edition= citation
    • , passage=And further I imagined and sayd, Alasse what Judge is he that is so gentle or benigne, that will thinke that I am unguilty of the slaughter and murther of these three men. }}