無罪（むざい、muzai）
- innocent

The Japanese word 無罪 (むざい) means "innocent," "not guilty," or "acquittal." It is a legal term primarily used in the context of criminal law. It signifies that a person is not found to have committed a crime and therefore is not held liable or punished. The state or condition of not being guilty of a crime or offense. The opposite of being guilty or convicted. The term applies after an investigation or trial where the evidence does not support a finding of guilt. 無罪 is a state of being free from blame or accusation.

⚫︎ 彼は裁判で無罪となった。 Translation: He was found innocent in the trial. ⚫︎ 無罪判決が出た。 Translation: A verdict of not guilty was issued. ⚫︎ 警察は証拠不十分で容疑者を無罪とした。 Translation: The police declared the suspect innocent due to insufficient evidence.

This word is typically used in formal settings, especially in legal contexts such as news reports, court proceedings, and legal documents. It’s used to describe the outcome of a trial or investigation where the accused is cleared of the charges. You would use 無罪 when discussing someone's legal innocence. It is suitable for explaining a judgment of not guilty.

⚫︎ The word is written using the kanji 無罪. ⚫︎ The reading (pronunciation) is むざい (in hiragana). ⚫︎ There is no katakana version. ⚫︎ There are no variations in okurigana.

⚫︎ 潔白 (けっぱく) - innocence, purity ⚫︎ 免罪 (めんさい) - exoneration ⚫︎ 不起訴 (ふきそ) - non-prosecution

⚫︎ 有罪 (ゆうざい) - guilty ⚫︎ 罪 (つみ) - crime, guilt ⚫︎ 有罪判決 (ゆうざい判決) - guilty verdict

弁護士は、クライアントが無罪であることを証明するために、すべての証拠を提出した。 ・Translation: The lawyer submitted all the evidence to prove that the client was innocent. ・Explanation: This sentence illustrates how 無罪 is used in a legal context, specifically in relation to a lawyer's efforts to establish their client's innocence.

その事件の捜査の結果、容疑者は無罪と判断された。 ・Translation: As a result of the investigation into the case, the suspect was judged innocent. ・Explanation: This sentence demonstrates how the word 無罪 is used to describe the outcome of an investigation, indicating that the suspect was cleared of the charges.

⚫︎ 無 (む) means "not," "without," or "non-." ⚫︎ 罪 (つみ) means "crime," "guilt," or "sin." ⚫︎ Therefore, 無罪 literally means "without guilt" or "not guilty," reflecting its legal definition of innocence. The combination of these two kanji creates the concept of being free from criminal charges.