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Blameless is used to describe someone who hasn’t done anything wrong—they haven’t done anything to be blamed for.

To blame someone for something is to accuse them of having caused it or to hold them responsible for it. The word blame is always used in the context of something bad that happened—you don’t blame someone for something good. When someone is blamed for something, it doesn’t mean they are guilty of it—it simply means they are being accused of being guilty of it.

However, the word blameless typically implies that a person is completely innocent. It’s often used in negative constructions to suggest the opposite.

Example: Those who participated in the fraud should be held responsible, but those who knew about it and did nothing are not blameless.

The first records of the word blameless come from the 1300s. Blame comes from the Late Latin �����������ŧ�������, meaning “to blaspheme” (“to speak in a disrespectful way about God or other things considered sacred”). The suffix -less means “without” and is used to form adjectives.

The phrase without blame can be used as a synonym of blameless. The opposite of blameless is blameworthy, which is used to describe someone or something that deserves to be blamed for something or to receive criticism for having caused it. The word blameful means the same thing as blameworthy but is less commonly used.

What are some other forms related to blameless?

• blamelessness (noun)
• blame (verb, noun)

What are some synonyms for blameless?

• guiltless��
• inculpable
• innocent
• faultless

What are some words that share a root or word element with blameless?��

• blameworthy
• blameful
• blamable
• blamestorm
• blaspheme

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What are some words that often get used in discussing blameless?

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• guilty
• accuse
• fault
• at fault
• crime
• mistake
• error

Blameless usually means “innocent,” but it’s typically in negative contexts—especially ones in which blame is being assigned or denied.

IOC president Thomas Bach is not blameless in the Russian doping fiasco, USA TODAY Sports' ��writes.

— USA TODAY Sports (@usatodaysports)

Sheryl Sandberg is hardly blameless for Facebook's mistakes, but notice that she is the one facing the firing line and not Mark Zuckerberg. He is unkillable, unfireable and untouchable and no amount of women leaning in is going to change that.

— New York Times Opinion (@nytopinion)

I sense this is what people find most shocking in what the judge said:

Manafort "lived an otherwise blameless life.”

— Shimon Prokupecz (@ShimonPro)

Is blameless used correctly in the following sentence?

“He is utterly blameless and has done nothing wrong.”