know-nothing
Americannoun
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an ignorant or totally uninformed person; ignoramus.
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an agnostic.
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(initial capital letters) a member of a political party American party, or Know-Nothing party prominent from 1853 to 1856, whose aim was to keep control of the government in the hands of native-born citizens: so called because members originally professed ignorance of the party's activities.
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a person whose anti-intellectualism, xenophobia, and other political attitudes recall the Know-Nothings.
adjective
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grossly ignorant; totally uninformed.
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(initial capital letters) of or relating to the Know-Nothings.
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of or relating to a political know-nothing.
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of know-nothing
First recorded in 1815–25; 1850–55 know-nothing for defs. 3, 7
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Her book abounds with busybody advocacy groups, donor advisory networks and consultancies run by know-nothing 20-somethings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
The effort always includes promotional videos, such as one this summer featuring a know-it-all who is exposed as a know-nothing because he doesn’t know where tickets are sold.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 28, 2022
It’s a movie about actors, their insecurities and their struggles with those know-nothing writers and producers, so it’s no surprise that the thespian crowd adores it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 16, 2022
My mom, unlike Akeem, was not a know-nothing blowing her money and trying to fit in by pretending to be working class.
From Slate ● Mar. 5, 2021
‘I is not a very know-all giant myself, but it seems to me that you is an absolutely know-nothing human bean. Your brain is full of rotten-wool.’
From "The BFG" by Roald Dahl
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
