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ig·no·rant 
Audio Help [ig-ner-uhnt] Pronunciation Key
—Related forms
Audio Help [ig-ner-uhnt] Pronunciation Key –adjective
| 1. | lacking in knowledge or training; unlearned: an ignorant man. |
| 2. | lacking knowledge or information as to a particular subject or fact: ignorant of quantum physics. |
| 3. | uninformed; unaware. |
| 4. | due to or showing lack of knowledge or training: an ignorant statement. |
[Origin: 1325–75; ME ignora(u)nt < L ignōrant- (s. of ignōrāns), prp. of ignōrāre to ignore; see -ant]
] —Related forms
ig·no·rant·ly, adverb
ig·no·rant·ness, noun
—Synonyms 1. uninstructed, untutored, untaught. Ignorant, illiterate, unlettered, uneducated mean lacking in knowledge or in training. Ignorant may mean knowing little or nothing, or it may mean uninformed about a particular subject: An ignorant person can be dangerous. I confess I'm ignorant of mathematics. Illiterate originally meant lacking a knowledge of literature or similar learning, but is most often applied now to one unable to read or write: necessary training for illiterate soldiers. Unlettered emphasizes the idea of being without knowledge of literature: unlettered though highly trained in science. Uneducated refers especially to lack of schooling or to lack of access to a body of knowledge equivalent to that learned in schools: uneducated but highly intelligent. 2. unenlightened.
—Antonyms 1. literate. 2. learned.
| Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006. |
ignorant
To learn more about ignorant visit Britannica.com
| © 2008 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. |
| ig·no·rant
Audio Help (ĭg'nər-ənt) Pronunciation Key
adj.
[Middle English ignoraunt, from Old French ignorant, from Latin ignōrāns, ignōrant-, present participle of ignōrāre, to be ignorant, not to know; see gnō- in Indo-European roots.] ig'no·rant·ly adv. |
| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
ignorant
c.1374, from O.Fr. ignorant, from L. ignorantia, from ignorantem, prp. of ignorare from in- "not" + Old L. gnarus "aware, acquainted with," from Porot-L. suffixed form *gno-ro-, related to gnoscere "to know" (see know). Form influenced by ignotus "unknown." Cf. also see uncouth. Colloquial sense of "ill-mannered" first attested 1886. Ignorance is attested c.1225, from O.Fr. ignorance, from L. ignorantia.
| Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper |
| ignorant | |
adjective | |
| 1. | uneducated in general; lacking knowledge or sophistication; "an ignorant man"; "nescient of contemporary literature"; "an unlearned group incapable of understanding complex issues"; "exhibiting contempt for his unlettered companions" |
| 2. | uneducated in the fundamentals of a given art or branch of learning; lacking knowledge of a specific field; "she is ignorant of quantum mechanics"; "he is musically illiterate" |
| 3. | unaware because of a lack of relevant information or knowledge; "he was completely ignorant of the circumstances"; "an unknowledgeable assistant"; "his rudeness was unwitting" |
| WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University. |
ignorant1 [ˈignərənt] adjective
knowing very little
Example: He's really very ignorant — he ought to read more; I'm ignorant about money matters.
ignorant2 [ˈignərənt] adjectiveExample: He's really very ignorant — he ought to read more; I'm ignorant about money matters.
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(with of) unaware
Example: He continued on his way, ignorant of the dangers which lay ahead.
Example: He continued on his way, ignorant of the dangers which lay ahead.
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| Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary, © 2000-2006 K Dictionaries Ltd. |
Ignorant
Ig"no*rant\, a. [F., fr. L. ignorans, -antis, p. pr. of ignorare to be ignorant. See Ignore.]1. Destitute of knowledge; uninstructed or uninformed; untaught; unenlightened. He that doth not know those things which are of use for him to know, is but an ignorant man, whatever he may know besides. --Tillotson. 2. Unacquainted with; unconscious or unaware; -- used with of. Ignorant of guilt, I fear not shame. --Dryden. 3. Unknown; undiscovered. [Obs.] Ignorant concealment. --Shak. Alas, what ignorant sin have I committed? --Shak. 4. Resulting from ignorance; foolish; silly. His shipping, Poor ignorant baubles! -- on our terrible seas, Like eggshells moved. --Shak. Syn: Uninstructed; untaught; unenlightened; uninformed; unlearned; unlettered; illiterate. -- Ignorant, Illiterate. Ignorant denotes want of knowledge, either as to single subject or information in general; illiterate refers to an ignorance of letters, or of knowledge acquired by reading and study. In the Middle Ages, a great proportion of the higher classes were illiterate, and yet were far from being ignorant, especially in regard to war and other active pursuits. In such business Action is eloquence, and the eyes of the ignorant More learned than the ears. --Shak. In the first ages of Christianity, not only the learned and the wise, but the ignorant and illiterate, embraced torments and death. --Tillotson.| Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc. |
Ignorant
Ig"no*rant\, a. [F., fr. L. ignorans, -antis, p. pr. of ignorare to be ignorant. See Ignore.]1. Destitute of knowledge; uninstructed or uninformed; untaught; unenlightened. He that doth not know those things which are of use for him to know, is but an ignorant man, whatever he may know besides. --Tillotson. 2. Unacquainted with; unconscious or unaware; -- used with of. Ignorant of guilt, I fear not shame. --Dryden. 3. Unknown; undiscovered. [Obs.] Ignorant concealment. --Shak. Alas, what ignorant sin have I committed? --Shak. 4. Resulting from ignorance; foolish; silly. His shipping, Poor ignorant baubles! -- on our terrible seas, Like eggshells moved. --Shak. Syn: Uninstructed; untaught; unenlightened; uninformed; unlearned; unlettered; illiterate. -- Ignorant, Illiterate. Ignorant denotes want of knowledge, either as to single subject or information in general; illiterate refers to an ignorance of letters, or of knowledge acquired by reading and study. In the Middle Ages, a great proportion of the higher classes were illiterate, and yet were far from being ignorant, especially in regard to war and other active pursuits. In such business Action is eloquence, and the eyes of the ignorant More learned than the ears. --Shak. In the first ages of Christianity, not only the learned and the wise, but the ignorant and illiterate, embraced torments and death. --Tillotson.| Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc. |
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