ignorant

[ ig-ner-uhnt ]

adjective

1. lacking in knowledge or training; unlearned:

   Although he was an ignorant man, he was very excited to learn.

   Synonyms: untaught, untutored, uninstructed

   Antonyms: literate

2. lacking knowledge or information as to a particular subject or fact:

   I admit I'm entirely ignorant of quantum physics.

   Synonyms: unenlightened

   Antonyms: learned

3. uninformed; unaware:

   You'd have to be pretty ignorant not to have heard this news.

4. due to or showing lack of knowledge or training:

   Everyone makes an ignorant statement or two when they're first starting out.

ignorant

/ ˈɪɡnərənt /

adjective

1. lacking in knowledge or education; unenlightened
2. postpositiveoften foll byof lacking in awareness or knowledge (of)

   ignorant of the law

3. resulting from or showing lack of knowledge or awareness

   an ignorant remark

Confusables Note

See stupid ( def ).

Derived Forms

• ˈignorantly, adverb

Other Words From

• ig·no·rant·ly adverb
• non·ig·no·rant adjective
• non·ig·no·rant·ly adverb
• qua·si-ig·no·rant adjective
• qua·si-ig·no·rant·ly adverb
• self-ig·no·rant adjective
• su·per·ig·no·rant adjective
• su·per·ig·no·rant·ly adverb
• un·ig·no·rant adjective
• un·ig·no·rant·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of ignorant¹

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English ignora(u)nt, from Latin ignōrant-, stem of ignōrāns “not knowing,” present participle of ignōrāre “to not know”; ignore ( def ), -ant ( def )

Synonym Study

Ignorant, illiterate, unlettered, uneducated mean lacking in knowledge or in training. Ignorant may mean knowing little or nothing, or it may mean uninformed about a particular subject: An ignorant person can be dangerous. I confess I'm ignorant of mathematics. Illiterate originally meant lacking a knowledge of literature or similar learning, but is most often applied now to one unable to read or write: necessary training for illiterate soldiers. Unlettered emphasizes the idea of being without knowledge of literature: unlettered though highly trained in science. Uneducated refers especially to lack of schooling or to lack of access to a body of knowledge equivalent to that learned in schools: uneducated but highly intelligent. None of these words mean "lacking in intelligence."

Example Sentences

He is ignorant of the nation’s story, dismissive of its conventions and unmoved by its romance.

From Washington Post

For decades, many have been ignorant of the connection between ecosystem health and infectious disease.

From Popular-Science

Next to her, the English Doyles are parochial and sorely ignorant, while Mexico City Noémi is widely read, intelligent, and well-traveled.

From Vox

They know exactly what makes their products sell, and consumers are generally happy to remain ignorant of the actual explanation for.

From Popular-Science

Chemists analyze molecular bonds but remain blissfully ignorant of quarks and gluons.

From Quanta Magazine

They must be really ignorant in Europe if they think that the next Russian president will be better.

From The Daily Beast

And there are those who are happily ignorant, and prefer to remain that way.

From The Daily Beast

And survey after survey proves an embarrassingly high percentage of Americans are largely ignorant of how our government works.

From The Daily Beast

Some call this HIV anxiety ignorant, and argue that protocols on both sides of the industry are efficient in their own ways.

From The Daily Beast

Just like Watson, Ansari is daring to elicit antagonism and ignorant accusations on account of his feminist beliefs.

From The Daily Beast

But he was ignorant of that part of the horrid tale; and the Duke, in a milder voice, bade him rise.

From Project Gutenberg

His wife was ignorant of the cause of his staying out so long, and suffered greatly from anxiety about his welfare.

From Project Gutenberg

What children they were with their simple unmorality of artists, as ignorant of the real world as babes in a wood!

From Project Gutenberg

Reginald never spoke to her of such things; perhaps she was too ignorant to understand.

From Project Gutenberg

I am so young and inexperienced, and so ignorant of agricultural matters, I should make a poor farmer.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• illiterate
• innocent
• naive
• oblivious
• obtuse
• uneducated
• uninformed