潔白

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 潔白 is read as けっぱく and means innocence or freedom from wrongdoing.
• Basic usage: It can be something a person asserts with evidence or something established after suspicion is cleared.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Asserting one’s innocence
  • 潔白を主張する means presenting evidence while maintaining that one did nothing wrong. Example: 彼は証拠を示して自分の潔白を主張した。
• Having innocence proven
  • 潔白が証明される means that innocence is established after the suspicion is removed. Example: 最後には疑いが晴れ、彼女の潔白が証明された。