Innocuous
/ɪˈnɒkjʊəs/
Definitions
Not harmful or likely to cause offense; not dangerous.
/ɪˈnɒkjʊəs/
Not harmful or offensive; harmless.
It was an innocuous question.
💡 Simply: Imagine you're at a party. Someone asks, "So, what do you think of the food?" If the food is *innocuous*, it just means it's not bad or going to make you sick. It's perfectly fine!
👶 For kids: Not able to hurt you.
More Examples
The information presented was considered innocuous.
The bacteria were innocuous.
How It's Used
"The interviewer asked innocuous questions to start."
"The bacteria were determined to be innocuous to humans."
From Latin *innocuus* meaning 'harmless, innocent,' from *in-* 'not' + *nocuus* 'harmful,' from *nocere* 'to harm.'
The word has been used since the 17th century and was used extensively in scientific and medical writing, as well as in legal contexts.
Memory tip
Think of "in-nocuous" as "in-no-harm." This word describes something that won't hurt you.
Word Origin
"to harm"