ignorance
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of ignorance
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English word from Latin word ignōrantia. See ignore, -ance
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How does ignorance compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
If you didn't do any of the reading or homework for your Russian history class, you are probably hoping the teacher won't call on you, so you can hide your ignorance, or lack of knowledge. The noun ignorance is not a synonym for "stupidity," since its meaning is closer to "being uninformed" than "being unintelligent." Ignorance implies that a person or group needs to be educated on a particular subject. You might have heard the phrase "ignorance is bliss," which means that sometimes it's easier when you don't know the whole truth about something and can be blissfully happy, unaware of unpleasant realities.
Vocabulary lists containing ignorance
"Marigolds"
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Eats, Shoots & Leaves
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Graduation Gems, 2016
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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.
In 1948 George Orwell identified “Newspeak” as an essential component of the totalitarian toolkit: “War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 15, 2025
Ignorance or mistake of law may be a defense in some limited circumstances.
From Slate • Nov. 24, 2025
Fans also raised a banner that read “Fight Ignorance, Not Immigrants.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 5, 2025
An advert aimed at tackling the stigma around HIV is to air on Scottish TV nearly 40 years after the "Don't Die of Ignorance" campaign.
From BBC • Oct. 16, 2023
For, pounding down the mountainside, in a cloud of clinging dust and a chorus of chilling shrieks, came all the loathsome creatures who choose to live in Ignorance and who had waited so very impatiently.
From "The Phantom Tollbooth" by Norton Juster
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.
