ignorance

noun

ig·​no·​rance ˈig-n(ə-)rən(t)s How to pronounce ignorance (audio)
: the state or fact of being ignorant : lack of knowledge, education, or awareness

Examples of ignorance in a Sentence

His racist attitudes were born out of ignorance. an appalling ignorance about other cultures
Recent Examples on the Web Nolan casts Brits to play Yanks, largely counting on Americans’ ignorance about their own history, especially the moral argument about the efficacy of using the bomb to end World War II. Armond White, National Review, 13 Mar. 2024 Dropping brand names and titles is no more than a show of ignorance. Senton Kacaniku, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 It wouldn’t be classified, but the company would be asked to tightly control word of the capability to give the military time to take advantage of public ignorance of this kind of data and turn it into an operational surveillance program. Byron Tau, WIRED, 27 Feb. 2024 My ignorance of the system was detrimental to my life and has been to so many others just like me. Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Feb. 2024 Inoculate yourself against ignorance with intel, charts, and surprising discoveries. Morgan Haefner, Quartz, 12 Feb. 2024 But always, the president ruled the kingdom with a destructive mix of arrogance, ignorance and indifference. Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 17 Feb. 2024 But this is one of several subjects about which Stenger claims ignorance. Sheelah Kolhatkar, The New Yorker, 29 Jan. 2024 This willful ignorance is geopolitically self-destructive and irresponsible, as today’s world order is determined by the productive and innovative power of a nation’s human capital, which drives national wealth. Roy Swan, Fortune, 15 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ignorance.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ignorance was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near ignorance

Cite this Entry

“Ignorance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ignorance. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

ignorance

noun
ig·​no·​rance ˈig-nə-rən(t)s How to pronounce ignorance (audio)
: the state or fact of being ignorant : lack of knowledge, education, or awareness

More from Merriam-Webster on ignorance

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