Wordwyrt

innocuous

/ˌɪˈnɒkjuːəs/ih-NO-kyoo-uhs
/ˌɪˈnɑkjuəs/ih-NAH-kyoo-uhs

Meaningharmless

Common meaning: causing no harm

‘in, into’ + ‘to harm’ → innocuous

Journey through time

  1. Latinnoceō; nex‘to harm’
  2. Englishinnocuous‘causing no harm’ · today

in- also in: incestinciteinduceinfamyinfant

noc also in: noxiousinnocent

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

  • UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
  • No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
  • US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
  • No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Built on Latin noceō; nex ‘to harm’.

Did you know: our wording, based on Lewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), entry noceō, p. 1211 · dictionary scan

Roots

Related words

innocentnoxious

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