ignorance

1 the state of being unaware or uninformed ignorance of the law is no excuse Synonyms benightedness, cluelessness, incognizance, innocence, nescience, obliviousness, unawareness, unfamiliarity Related Words callowness, greenness, inexperience, naïveté (also naivete or naiveté), rawness, simpleness, unsophistication Near Antonyms experience, know-how; sophistication Antonyms acquaintance, awareness, cognizance, familiarity

2 the state of being unlearned with such vast sums spent on education, the level of ignorance among graduating seniors is a national disgrace Synonyms illiteracy Related Words functional illiteracy, innumeracy; brainlessness, dumbness, idiocy, imbecility, stupidity; philistinism; foolishness, mindlessness, senselessness, witlessness Near Antonyms education, instruction, training; enlightenment, knowledge; erudition, scholarship Antonyms learning, literacy