Cool MateHe's innocent of any wrong doing vs Not guilty vs Pure
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
He's innocent of any wrong doing
Not guilty
Pure
| He's innocent of any wrong doing | Not guilty | Pure | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 //hiːz ˈɪnəsənt əv ˈɛni ˈrɒŋ ˈduːɪŋ//🇺🇸 //hiz ˈɪnəsənt əv ˈɛni ˈrɔŋ ˈduɪŋ// | 🇬🇧 //nɒt ˈɡɪlti//🇺🇸 //nɑt ˈɡɪlti// | 🇬🇧 /["/pjʊə(r)/","/ˈpjʊərə(r)/","/ˈpjʊərɪst/"]/🇺🇸 /["/pjʊr/","/ˈpjʊrər/","/ˈpjʊrɪst/"]/ |
| Meaning | He didn't do anything wrong. | Not responsible for a crime or wrong action. | Something that is clean or not mixed with anything else. |
| Example | Despite the charges, he maintains he's innocent of any wrongdoing. | The jury found him not guilty of all charges. | She prefers to drink pure water without any additives. |
| Register | Neutral | Formal | Neutral |
| How common | Top 2,000 (common) | Top 5,000 (fairly common) | Top 1,000 (very common) |
| CEFR level | - | - | B2 |
| Part of speech | adjective | ||
| Collocations | proclaim innocence, declare innocent, prove innocent | declare not guilty, plead not guilty, verdict of not guilty | pure water, pure heart, pure substance, pure joy, pure gold |
| Antonyms | - | guilty | impure, contaminated, mixed |
| Common mistakes | Confused with 'innocent of any wrongdoing' without the preposition., Incorrectly using 'innocent' for someone who is guilty., Omitting 'any' which can change the meaning. | Confused with 'innocent' as both can imply lack of guilt., Used inappropriately in non-legal contexts., Mispronounced or miswritten as 'not guity'. | Confused with 'purer' – 'pure' is the base form, not comparative., Used incorrectly in terms of emotions, e.g., saying 'pure love' is often acceptable, but context matters. |
| Usage notes | Used in both formal and informal contexts to assert someone's lack of guilt. | Commonly used in legal contexts, appropriate in court or serious discussions. Not suitable for casual conversation or humor. | Used to describe something that is uncontaminated or without addition. In formal contexts, often refers to substances or qualities; in informal contexts, can refer to intentions or feelings. |
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Frequently asked questions: He's innocent of any wrong doing vs Not guilty vs Pure
What's the difference between He's innocent of any wrong doing, Not guilty, and Pure?
He's innocent of any wrong doing: He didn't do anything wrong. Not guilty: Not responsible for a crime or wrong action. Pure: Something that is clean or not mixed with anything else.
Which is more formal: He's innocent of any wrong doing, Not guilty, and Pure?
Not guilty is the most formal of these.
Which is more common: He's innocent of any wrong doing, Not guilty, and Pure?
Pure is the most common in everyday English.
Can you show an example of each?
He's innocent of any wrong doing: Despite the charges, he maintains he's innocent of any wrongdoing. Not guilty: The jury found him not guilty of all charges. Pure: She prefers to drink pure water without any additives.
Can I use He's innocent of any wrong doing, Not guilty, and Pure interchangeably?
Not always. He's innocent of any wrong doing, Not guilty, and Pure are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.