ignore

[ ig-nawr, -nohr ]

verb (used with object)

, ig·nored, ig·nor·ing.

1. to refrain from noticing or recognizing:

   to ignore insulting remarks.

   Synonyms: overlook, neglect, disregard, slight

   Antonyms: regard, notice

2. Law. (of a grand jury) to reject (a bill of indictment), as on the grounds of insufficient evidence.

ignore

/ ɪɡˈnɔː /

verb

1. to fail or refuse to notice; disregard

noun

1. informal.
   disregard

   to treat someone with ignore

Derived Forms

• igˈnorable, adjective
• igˈnorer, noun

Other Words From

• ig·nora·ble adjective
• ig·norer noun
• unig·nora·ble adjective
• unig·nora·bly adverb
• unig·nored adjective
• unig·noring adjective
• well-ig·nored adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of ignore¹

First recorded in 1605–15; from Latin ignōrāre “to not know, disregard,” verb derivative of ignārus “ignorant, unaware” (with -ō- perhaps from ignōtus “unknown”), equivalent to in- in- ³ + gnārus “knowing, acquainted (with)”; akin to (g)nōscere “to know ¹ ”

Word History and Origins

Origin of ignore¹

C17: from Latin ignōrāre not to know, from ignārus ignorant of, from i- in- ¹+ gnārus knowing; related to Latin noscere to know

Example Sentences

In the coming years, though, that calculus might have to change, since the growing size of the country’s nonreligious population could make these voters more difficult for Democrats to ignore.

From FiveThirtyEight

Among the Bay Area businesses being supported with financing are ConsejoSano, a for-profit social enterprise that works to improve health outcomes for culturally diverse populations by embracing that diversity, not ignoring it.

From Fortune

The irony for him is that as he tries to ignore these ongoing crises, he’s losing voters.

From Washington Post

He did so for at least six weeks before the rising caseload made the problem impossible to ignore.

From Washington Post

Both have ignored this race, viewing others as more winnable, with the New York-based Working Families Party providing the biggest out-of-state muscle for Scarane.

From Washington Post

When it comes to educating our children, Congress should heed that message, not ignore it.

From The Daily Beast

But the increasing number of fraudsters bringing back wares to stores to make an illicit killing has  become impossible to ignore.

From The Daily Beast

Watters and other critics also ignore the fact that the whole report is based on CIA documents.

From The Daily Beast

I am only able to ignore because I have had to have these conversations in person and that is the most traumatic experience.

From The Daily Beast

“It is forbidden in Islam to ignore the reality of contemporary times when deriving legal rulings,” they argued.

From The Daily Beast

In cases in which no attempt is made to ignore the accusation, the small wits are wont to be busy discovering exculpations.

From Project Gutenberg

I believe we shall never get on with human affairs until we do ignore them.

From Project Gutenberg

Never again would she ignore an urgent telegram, though she did not believe that this telegram had any real importance.

From Project Gutenberg

This is one of the truths which sloth, rapacity and extravagance are slow to learn, yet which they cannot safely ignore.

From Project Gutenberg

He could see the unconcealed delight, and the malice that had always been, but which before he had been able to ignore.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• avoid
• discount
• fail
• forget
• neglect
• overlook
• reject
• scorn