innocent [ME] Literally meaning ‘not harming’, innocent goes back to Latin in- ‘not’ and nocere ‘to hurt, injure’, which also lies behind nuisance [LME], from nocere via French nuisir, noxious [LME] ‘harmful’, its opposite innocuous [L16th], and obnoxious [L16th] the ob having the sense ‘towards’ in Latin.