- a lack of knowledge or information about something
- They fought a long battle against prejudice and ignorance.
- I hate to admit my ignorance, but how does it work?
- ignorance of something He showed a remarkable ignorance of the facts.
- ignorance about something widespread ignorance about the disease
- in ignorance of something They were kept in ignorance of their government's activities.
- out of ignorance Children often behave badly out of ignorance.
- through ignorance Many lives are lost through ignorance.
Express Yourself Saying that you don’t know something or giving yourself time to thinkSaying that you don’t know something or giving yourself time to thinkThere are various ways of telling people that you haven’t got the information they are asking for:- I really don't know.
- I’m afraid I don't have the faintest idea.
- Sorry, I have absolutely no idea.
- ‘Has anyone left a message?’‘No, not to my knowledge.’
- ‘Has this ever happened before?’ ‘No, not as far as I know.’
- Well, that’s a good question.
- Yes, that’s an interesting point.
- Well, let me see…
- Let me think about that for a moment.
Extra Examples- He pleaded ignorance of any wrongdoing.
- Outsiders, in their ignorance, fail to understand this.
- These attitudes are based on ignorance and fear.
- This showed a profound ignorance of local customs.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- complete
- total
- utter
- …
- betray
- demonstrate
- display
- …
- due to ignorance
- in ignorance (of)
- in your ignorance
- …
Word OriginMiddle English: via Old French from Latin ignorantia, from ignorant- ‘not knowing’, from the verb ignorare ‘not know, ignore’, from in- ‘not’ + gno-, a base meaning ‘know’.Definitions on the go
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Idioms
See ignorance in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee ignorance in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic Englishblissful ignorance
- the state of not knowing about something and so being unable to worry about it
- We preferred to remain in blissful ignorance of what was going on.
ignorance is bliss
- (saying) if you do not know about something, you cannot worry about it
- Some doctors believe ignorance is bliss and don't give their patients all the facts.
Check pronunciation:
ignorance