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

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.

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 Its brown-on-brown battle scenes tease a generation ignorant of war and politics and that is no longer encouraged to believe in the Messiah (certainly not petulant Chalamet). Armond White, National Review, 1 Mar. 2024 Unable to read and write, Sojourner Truth was far from mute or ignorant. Cynthia Greenlee, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Feb. 2024 During my tenure on the Court, I have been faced with many cases where attorneys and/or judges have ignored or have been ignorant about their roles, duties and obligations and have therefore failed to promote justice. Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Feb. 2024 Comedian Diane Morgan plays the clueless and comedically ignorant Philomena Cunk, who travels the world making civilization's daffiest historical documentary. Danny Horn, EW.com, 24 Jan. 2024 While Trump is undoubtedly ignorant about many things a president ought to know, Hitler’s speeches would not be on that list. Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 5 Jan. 2024 The former president is ignorant, obnoxious, xenophobic, and racist, racist, racist. Mark Judge, Washington Examiner, 9 Jan. 2024 There’s no shame in being ignorant, unless one is screaming for the extermination of millions. Ron E. Hassner, WSJ, 5 Dec. 2023 Throughout, Hammel proves a sharp humorist fixated on showcasing and satirizing annoying, ignorant people. Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 23 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ignorant.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

see ignore

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of ignorant was in the 14th century

Cite this Entry

“Ignorant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ignorant. Accessed 19 Mar. 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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!