ignorant

adjective

ig·​no·​rant ˈig-n(ə-)rənt 

1

a

: destitute of knowledge or education

an ignorant society

also : lacking knowledge or comprehension of the thing specified

parents ignorant of modern mathematics

b

: resulting from or showing lack of knowledge or intelligence

ignorant errors

2

: unaware, uninformed

ignorantly adverb

ignorantness noun

Did you know?

The Polite and Not-So-Polite Uses of Ignorant

Ignorant shares a root with the word ignore, one of those etymological connections which appear obvious once they are pointed out, yet remained overlooked by most. Both words come from the Latin ignorare (“to ignore, be ignorant of”). There are several meanings of ignorant, all of which are concerned with a lack of knowledge in some sense; some of these are more insulting than others, and care should be exercised before applying this word to people who you do not wish to offend. Saying “They were ignorant of most of the laws of physics” means that the people in question did not have a specific body of learning. Saying “You are an ignorant person” is possibly describing someone as primitive, crude, or uncivilized.

Synonyms

• analphabetic
• benighted
• dark
• illiterate
• nonliterate
• rude
• simple
• uneducated
• uninstructed
• unlearned
• unlettered
• unread
• unschooled
• untaught
• untutored

Choose the Right Synonym for ignorant

ignorant, illiterate, unlettered, untutored, unlearned mean not having knowledge.

ignorant may imply a general condition or it may apply to lack of knowledge or awareness of a particular thing.

an ignorant fool

ignorant of nuclear physics

illiterate applies to either an absolute or a relative inability to read and write.

much of the population is still illiterate

unlettered implies ignorance of the knowledge gained by reading.

an allusion meaningless to the unlettered

untutored may imply lack of schooling in the arts and ways of civilization.

strange monuments built by an untutored people

unlearned suggests ignorance of advanced subjects.

poetry not for academics but for the unlearned masses

Examples of ignorant in a Sentence

… the World Series of the wild-card era is the pull of a slot-machine lever, a game of chance ignorant of form. Regularly populated now with second-place clubs or flavor-of-the-month teams more than dominant regular-season franchises … —Tom Verducci, Sports Illustrated, 30 Oct. 2006

That may be especially true for today's … 13-year-olds, whose own moms and dads grew up largely ignorant of car seats, bike helmets, antibacterial soaps and childproof locks … —Nancy Gibbs, Time, 8 Aug. 2005

The joke is that the film was not his work. To refer to a producer's oeuvre is, at least to me, as ignorant as to refer to the oeuvre of a stockbroker. —David Mamet, Jafsie and John Henry: Essays, 1999

He is an ignorant old racist.

She was ignorant about the dangers of the drug.

It was an ignorant mistake.

Recent Examples on the Web

This situation would be a comedy of errors if not for its ending in tragedy: Andy is ignorant of Sherry’s affections, Sherry has no notion of Crawford’s intentions, and Crawford could not care less about either of them. —Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 25 Apr. 2025

Some sellers, who may only own a home for a few years, may be ignorant of its past. —Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2025

The statements, widely condemned as deeply offensive and historically ignorant, adds to Ye’s troubling pattern of antisemitic rhetoric. —Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 21 Apr. 2025

In this environment, unscrupulous or ignorant producers sold rotten food or foods preserved in dangerous substances to unwitting consumers. —Yong Kwon / Made By History, TIME, 7 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

see ignore

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

ignorant

adjective

ig·​no·​rant ˈig-nə-rənt 

1

a

: having no knowledge or education

b

: having no knowledge or understanding of a certain thing

ignorant of mathematics

2

: not informed : unaware

ignorant of the facts

3

: resulting from or showing lack of knowledge

an ignorant mistake

ignorantly adverb