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.
"Treating life that way is ignorance and there was never any apology," Jung says.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
Another Kushner faux pas, this one perhaps reflecting his ignorance of European history: “There is no such thing in the world as forever enemies or forever allies.”
From Slate ● Sep. 8, 2026
Between every line of Ms. Haberman and Mr. Swan’s huffing disapproval of Mr. Trump’s reckless ignorance and impulsivity is their delight in having him as a subject, a ticket to the bestseller list.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
Pondering the American way of aging, Schiller initially adopts a posture of ignorance and naivete so extreme that it seems like a pose.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
I wondered what they were going to do the first evening a change of entertainment was proposed: they spoke of “playing charades,” but in my ignorance I did not understand the term.
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.
