3 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Innocent people are those who are not involved in a crime or conflict, but are injured or killed as a result of it. □ All those wounded were innocent victims.
4 ADJ An innocent question, remark, or comment is not intended to offend or upset people, even if it does so. □ It was a perfectly innocent question. SYNONYMS innocent ADJ 2
naïve: It's naïve to think that teachers are always tolerant.
trusting: Perhaps I was too trusting.
gullible: I'm so gullible I would have believed him.
unworldly: She was so young, so unworldly.
in|no|cent|ly / I nəsəntli/
1 ADV [ADV with v] If you say that someone does or says something innocently , you mean that they are pretending not to know something about a situation. □ I caught Chrissie's eye, but she only smiled back at me innocently.
2 → see also innocent
in|nocu|ous / I nɒ kjuəs/ ADJ Something that is innocuous is not at all harmful or offensive. [FORMAL ] □ Both mushrooms look innocuous but are in fact deadly.
in|no|vate / I nəve I t/ (innovates , innovating , innovated ) VERB To innovate means to introduce changes and new ideas in the way something is done or made. □ [V ] …his constant desire to innovate and experiment.
in|no|va|tion / I nəve I ʃ ə n/ (innovations )
1 N‑COUNT An innovation is a new thing or a new method of doing something. □ The vegetarian burger was an innovation which was rapidly exported to Britain.
2 N‑UNCOUNT Innovation is the introduction of new ideas, methods, or things. □ We must promote originality and encourage innovation.
in|no|va|tive / I nəve I t I v/
1 ADJ Something that is innovative is new and original. □ …products which are more innovative than those of their competitors.
2 ADJ An innovative person introduces changes and new ideas. □ He was one of the most creative and innovative engineers of his generation.
in|no|va|tor / I nəve I tə r / (innovators ) N‑COUNT An innovator is someone who introduces changes and new ideas. □ He is an innovator in this field.
in|no|va|tory / I nəve I təri, [AM ] -tɔːri/ ADJ Innovatory means the same as innovative . [mainly BRIT ] □ Only the opening sequence could claim to be genuinely innovatory.
in|nu|en|do / I njue ndoʊ/ (innuendoes or innuendos ) N‑VAR Innuendo is indirect reference to something rude or unpleasant. □ The report was based on rumours, speculation, and innuendo.
in|nu|mer|able / I njuː mərəb ə l, [AM ] -nuː -/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Innumerable means very many, or too many to be counted. [FORMAL ] □ He has invented innumerable excuses, told endless lies.
in|ocu|late / I nɒ kjʊle I t/ (inoculates , inoculating , inoculated ) VERB To inoculate a person or animal means to inject a weak form of a disease into their body as a way of protecting them against the disease. □ [V n] …a program to inoculate every child in the state. □ [be V -ed + against ] His dogs were inoculated against rabies. ● in|ocu|la|tion / I nɒ kjʊle I ʃ ə n/ (inoculations ) N‑VAR □ [+ of ] This may eventually lead to routine inoculation of children. [Also + against ]
in|of|fen|sive / I nəfe ns I v/ ADJ If you describe someone or something as inoffensive , you mean that they are not unpleasant or unacceptable in any way, but are perhaps rather dull. □ He's a mild inoffensive man.
in|op|er|able / I nɒ pərəb ə l/ ADJ An inoperable medical condition is one that cannot be cured by a surgical operation. [FORMAL ] □ He was diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer.
in|op|era|tive / I nɒ pərət I v/ ADJ An inoperative rule, principle, or tax is one that does not work any more or that cannot be made to work. [FORMAL ]
in|op|por|tune / I nɒ pə r tjuːn, [AM ] -tuː n/ ADJ If you describe something as inopportune or if you say that it happens at an inopportune time, you mean that it happens at an unfortunate or unsuitable time, and causes trouble or embarrassment because of this. □ The dismissals came at an inopportune time.
in|or|di|nate / I nɔː r d I n I t/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you describe something as inordinate , you are emphasizing that it is unusually or excessively great in amount or degree. [FORMAL , EMPHASIS ] □ They spend an inordinate amount of time talking. ● in|or|di|nate|ly ADV [usu ADV adj/-ed] □ He is inordinately proud of his wife's achievements.
in|or|gan|ic / I nɔː r gæ n I k/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Inorganic substances are substances such as stone and metal that do not come from living things. □ …roofing made from organic and inorganic fibres.
i n-patient (in-patients ) also inpatient N‑COUNT An in-patient is someone who stays in hospital while they receive their treatment. ● ADJ [ADJ n] In-patient is also an adjective. □ …inpatient hospital care.
in|put / I npʊt/ (inputs , inputting ) The form input is used in the present tense and is the past tense and past participle. 1 N‑VAR Input consists of information or resources that a group or project receives. □ We listen to our employees and value their input.
2 N‑UNCOUNT Input is information that is put into a computer. [COMPUTING ]
3 VERB If you input information into a computer, you feed it in, for example by typing it on a keyboard. [COMPUTING ] □ [be V -ed + onto ] All this information had to be input onto the computer.