ignorant

adjective

ig·​no·​rant ˈig-n(ə-)rənt How to pronounce ignorant (audio)
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
ignorantly adverb
ignorantness noun

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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.

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Melody doesn’t learn anything new about herself during her battles against ignorant people while growing up in a time not conducive to her needs. Courtney Howard, Variety, 27 Nov. 2024 After Trump win, Sharon Stone blasts 'ignorant, arrogant' Americans. Laura L. Davis, USA TODAY, 27 Nov. 2024 The book goes out of its way to identify enemies: health-care workers, ignorant friends, sexist academics, rude strangers. Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 21 Nov. 2024 Other reasons workers may not open up include fears about job security, being passed over for promotions, negative impacts on reputation, privacy concerns and a lack of support from colleagues who are ignorant of mental health issues. Pedro Canahuati, Forbes, 20 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for ignorant 

Word History

Etymology

see ignore

First Known Use

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of ignorant was in the 15th century

Cite this Entry

“Ignorant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ignorant. Accessed 2 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

ignorant

adjective
ig·​no·​rant ˈig-nə-rənt How to pronounce ignorant (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on ignorant

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