Is « innocence » masculine or feminine?

« innocence » is feminine. You say l'innocence.

Article forms

With the definite article l'innocence
With the indefinite article une innocence
With the partitive article de l'innocence

Plural

The plural is innocences (les innocences). A noun keeps its gender in the plural; only the article stops showing it.

Why the gender

innocence ends in -ence. Nouns ending in -ence are usually feminine, so innocence follows the pattern. The full rules by ending cover every common suffix.

Related words

Other common nouns that end the same way:

Common questions

Is « innocence » masculine or feminine?

« innocence » is feminine. You say l'innocence.

« l'innocence » hides the gender. Is « innocence » masculine or feminine?

It is feminine. The article shortens to « l'innocence » for both genders, but you say une innocence, not un innocence, and adjectives take the feminine form.


Check another word, or read the complete guide to French noun gender.