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
Compare meaning
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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Graduation Gems, 2016
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Eats, Shoots & Leaves
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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 the deluge of emails and comments we have received over the past 24 hours, we were accused of breathless hype, shocking ignorance and peddling what one reader described as “absolute rubbish.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
Paxton cannot claim ignorance of the law because he enforces it, said Joshua Blank, research director of the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas at Austin.
From Salon ● Jul. 7, 2026
It is alarming that we live in a moment of widespread ignorance that CPS caseworkers, like all fallible government officials, are bound by the Constitution.
From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2026
He said ignorance of the law was not an excuse, but he believed most people riding e-scooters did know they should not be using them on pavements and roads.
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026
I was weakly dismayed at the ignorance, the poverty, the coarseness of all I heard and saw round me.
From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
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.
