innocuous
UK: ɪˈnɒk.ju.əs | US: ɪˈnɑː.kju.əs
adj. harmless or unlikely to cause injury
adj. not offensive or controversial
innocuous = in<not> + noc<harm> + uous<adjective suffix>
- in-: Prefix meaning "not" (from Latin in-).
- noc-: Root meaning "harm" (from Latin nocēre, "to harm").
- -uous: Adjective-forming suffix (from Latin -uus).
Etymology Origin:
Derived from Latin innocuus (harmless), combining in- (negation) + nocuus (harmful). The root noc- appears in words like "noxious" (harmful) and "innocent" (originally "not harming"). Over time, "innocuous" evolved to describe things devoid of physical or metaphorical harm, reflecting its Latin logic of negation + harm.
The spider looked scary but was innocuous to humans.
Her comment seemed innocuous, yet it sparked a debate.
The chemical is innocuous when properly diluted.
He preferred innocuous jokes to avoid offending anyone.
The debate focused on innocuous topics to maintain civility.