ignorance
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
- self-ignorance noun
Etymology
Origin of ignorance
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English word from Latin word ignōrantia. See ignore, -ance
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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.
It seems like the Justice Department’s plan was to send in this junior prosecutor, Daniel Rosenblum, who would respond to these questions with ignorance and say he didn’t know anything.
From Slate • Mar. 20, 2026
Ms. Hughes plays Ruth with a combative defensiveness, and not a little contempt, as she listens with incredulity to Jay’s obvious ignorance of the Troubles.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026
Who hasn’t had the experience of hearing some know-nothing proudly display his ignorance — whether in a bar, on a crowded plane or on Joe Rogan’s podcast?
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 12, 2026
Hegseth’s language choices and petulant tone do not demonstrate an ignorance of what rhetorical situations demand of him; instead, they reflect a refusal to be emasculated by such cumbersome norms.
From Salon • Mar. 10, 2026
She had already decided not to tell that story, suspecting that the explanation was simple and that it would be better not to expose her ignorance.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
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.
