Guiltless
/ˈɡɪltləs/noun
Free from guilt or blame; innocent.
Did you know?The core word guilt comes from Old English *gylt*, meaning a sin, offense, or crime, so *guiltless* literally marks someone as free from that old stain of blame.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
gyltlēas
“Without guilt; innocent.”
Old English
OE
gylt
“A sin, offense, fault, or crime.”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*gultiz
“Offense, fault, guilt.”
Modern English
English
guiltless
“Free from guilt or blame.”