ignorant Hear it!

ignorant definition

ig·no·rant (ig′nə rənt)

adjective

    1. having little knowledge, education, or experience; uneducated; inexperienced
    2. lacking knowledge (in a particular area or matter)
  2. caused by or showing lack of knowledge or education
  3. unaware (of)

Etymology: OFr < L ignorans, prp. of ignorare: see ignore

Related Forms:

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

ignorant Synonyms

ignorant

modif.

  1. Unaware

    unconscious, uninformed, unknowing, uninitiated, inexperienced, unwitting, unmindful, disregarding, misinformed, unsuspecting, oblivious, insensible, mindless, witless, unconversant with, unintelligent, obtuse, thick, dense, moronic, imbecilic, shallow-brained, cretinous, unbookish, inept at learning, not gifted in learning, unscholarly, unscientific, half-learned, bird-brained*, sappy*, in the dark*, out of it*; see also sense 2, dull 3, shallow 2, stupid 1, unaware.

    Antonyms alert, aware, cognizant.

  2. Untrained

    illiterate, uneducated, unlettered, unlearned, untaught, uninstructed, uncultivated, unenlightened, untutored, unread, unschooled, inexperienced, uninformed, nescient, benighted, superstitious, shallow, superficial, coarse, vulgar, crude, gross, gauche, callow, green, naive, simple, ingenuous, inerudite, know-nothing, destitute of knowledge, misinformed, misguided, just beginning, undergoing apprenticeship, apprenticed, unbriefed, lowbrow*; see also inexperienced, naive.

    Antonyms learned*, educated*, knowledgeable.

ignorant implies a lack of knowledge, either generally an ignorant man or on some particular subject ignorant of the reason for their quarrel; illiterate implies a failure to conform to some standard of knowledge, esp. an inability to read or write; unlettered, sometimes a milder term for illiterate, often implies unfamiliarity with fine literature although a graduate engineer, he is relatively unlettered; uneducated and untutored imply a lack of formal or systematic education, as of that acquired in schools his brilliant, though uneducated mind; unlearned suggests a lack of learning, either generally or in some specific subject unlearned in science


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

ignorant Usage Examples

Preposition: of

  • fact: The man is either totally ignorant of the facts or an abject liar.

Modifying Another Word

  • blissfully: To be blissfully ignorant of doubt is an easy way out, a self failure.

Modifies a noun

  • fool: He takes Neo from being an ignorant fool, who is always in trouble with the authorities.

Used with adjective complement

  • remain: He who remains ignorant of these, shall never be able to bring to pass any wonderful matter.
ignorant usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

ignorant quotes

We live ignorant and die in errancy as we lived.

-Abu'l-'Ala¤   Al-Ma'arri

There is sometimes a greater judgement shewn in deviating from the rules of art, than in adhering to them; and†there ismore beauty inthe works of a great genius who is ignorant of all the rules of art, than in the works of a little genius, who not only knows but scrupulously observes them.

-Addison,Joseph

Talis, inquiens, mihi videtur, rex, vita hominum praesens in terris, ad comparationem eius, quod nobis incertum est, temporis, quale cum te residente, ad caenam cum ducibus ac ministris tuis tempore brumale†adveniens unus passerum domum citissime, pervolaverit; qui cum per unum ostium ingrediens, mox per aliud exierit. Ipso quidem tempore, quo intus est, hiemis tempestate non tangitur, sed tamen parvissimo spatio serenitatis ad momentum excurso, mox de hieme in hiemem regrediens, tuis oculis elabitur. Ita haec vita hominum ad modicum apparet; quid autem sequatur, quidve praecesserit, prorsus ignoramus. 'Such,' he said,'O King, seems to me the present life of menon earth, incomparisonwiththattimewhichtousis uncertain, as if when on a winter's night you sit feasting with your ealdormen and thegnsöa single sparrow should flyswiftly intothehall, and coming inat one door, instantly flyoutthrough another.Inthattime inwhichit is indoorsit isindeed nottouched by thefuryofthewinter, and yet, this smallest space of calmness being passed almost in a flash, from winter going into winter again, it is lost to your eyes. Somewhat like this appears the life of man; but of what follows or what went before, we are utterly ignorant.'

-Bede known as  'theVenerable'

ignorant quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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