Blame"less, a.

Free from blame; without fault; innocent; guiltless; -- sometimes followed by of.

A bishop then must be blameless. 1 Tim. iii. 2.

Blameless still of arts that polish to deprave. Mallet.

We will be blameless of this thine oath. Josh. ii. 17.

Syn. -- Irreproachable; sinless; unblemished; inculpable. -- Blameless, Spotless, Faultless, Stainless. We speak of a thing as blameless when it is free from blame, or the just imputation of fault; as, a blameless life or character. The others are stronger. We speak of a thing as faultless, stainless, or spotless, only when we mean that it is absolutely without fault or blemish; as, a spotless or stainless reputation; a faultless course of conduct. The last three words apply only to the general character, while blameless may be used in reverence to particular points; as, in this transaction he was wholly blameless. We also apply faultless to personal appearance; as, a faultless figure; which can not be done in respect to any of the other words.

 

© Webster 1913.