meaning - Is there a difference between "innocent" and "not guilty"?


I have always thought the antonym of "guilty" is "innocent", but apparently it's just "not guilty". Even juries seem to agree.


But why? Aren't they antonyms? Or is there a subtlety I'm missing here?



Answer



Not guilty is a verdict or formal finding by the legal system that a defendant is not culpable for the crime with which the defendant was charged.


If someone charges you with a certain crime, the judge/jury are there to decide whether you are guilty, or not guilty of the crime in question. Stating that you are innocent would technically generally speak about your life and personality in a way that you've never done anything bad in life. Not guilty, on the other hand, can and is used to express specifically what you are not guilty of, for example not guilty of killing my workmate.


Therefore, the following is technically correct:



Judge: How do you plead?
You: I'm not innocent, nobody is, but I'm not guilty of what I'm charged with.



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