In the following vocabulary question, choose the word that is closest in meaning to INNOCUOUS.

Introduction / Context:
This question is a synonym problem from the English vocabulary section. You are asked to select the word that is closest in meaning to innocuous. The word innocuous is commonly used in written English to describe something that is not harmful or likely to offend. Confusing it with innocent or innovative is a frequent mistake, so it is important to know its precise meaning.

Given Data / Assumptions:

The target word is INNOCUOUS.

The options are INNOCENT, INNOVATIVE, INOFFENSIVE, INNERMOST, and INEFFECTIVE.

We must choose the word whose meaning is closest to that of innocuous in general English usage.

We assume the context is neutral and not limited to any specialised field.

The word innocuous usually describes remarks, substances, or actions.

Concept / Approach:

Innocuous means harmless or not likely to cause offence or injury. It is often used for harmless comments, medicines, or behaviours. Inoffensive is very close in meaning, since it describes something that does not offend or upset. Innocent relates more to guilt or purity, innovative refers to something new or original, innermost to position, and ineffective to lack of effect. By comparing these meanings, we can see that inoffensive is the best synonym.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall the definition of innocuous: not harmful, not likely to cause damage, or not likely to offend anyone. Step 2: Examine option a, INNOCENT. This usually means not guilty of a crime or having no knowledge of something bad. Although it sometimes overlaps with harmless, it is not the usual synonym in formal usage. Step 3: Examine option b, INNOVATIVE. This means new, creative, or involving original ideas and has no relation to harmlessness. Step 4: Examine option c, INOFFENSIVE. This means not likely to offend or upset anyone, and by extension, harmless. Step 5: Examine option d, INNERMOST. This refers to the deepest or most central position, unrelated to the idea of harm. Step 6: Examine option e, INEFFECTIVE. This means not producing any significant effect, which is different from being harmless or non offensive. Step 7: Conclude that INOFFENSIVE is the closest in meaning to INNOCUOUS.

Verification / Alternative check:

Consider example sentences: The comedian's jokes were innocuous and did not offend anyone or The doctor assured us that the medicine was innocuous. Replacing innocuous with inoffensive retains a very similar meaning in contexts involving comments or behaviour. The word innocent could fit in some emotional contexts, but it is less precise. Innovative, innermost, and ineffective clearly do not fit these sentences.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

Option a, INNOCENT, focuses on lack of guilt or experience rather than harmlessness in the sense of not causing offence.

Option b, INNOVATIVE, relates to creativity and new ideas and is semantically unrelated.

Option d, INNERMOST, describes physical or metaphorical depth, not safety or harmlessness.

Option e, INEFFECTIVE, highlights lack of effect, which could be harmful or harmless; it does not mean safe or non offensive.

Common Pitfalls:

Because innocuous and innocent share the same prefix inno, many learners assume they are synonyms. However, innocuous is more often used for remarks or substances, while innocent is used for people or actions judged morally or legally. Paying attention to common collocations like innocuous remark or innocuous drug can help fix the correct meaning in your memory.

Final Answer:

The word that is closest in meaning to INNOCUOUS is INOFFENSIVE.