Download the app
educalingo
Search
Innocence is ignorance.
Lynne Reid Banks

Meaning of "ignorance" in the English dictionary

Dictionary
DICTIONARY
section

PRONUNCIATION OF IGNORANCE

ignorance  [ˈɪɡnərəns] play
facebooktwitterpinterestwhatsapp

GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF IGNORANCE

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
Ignorance is a noun.
A noun is a type of word the meaning of which determines reality. Nouns provide the names for all things: people, objects, sensations, feelings, etc.

WHAT DOES IGNORANCE MEAN IN ENGLISH?

Ignorance

Ignorance is a state of being uninformed. The word ignorant is an adjective describing a person in the state of being unaware and is often used as an insult to describe individuals who deliberately ignore or disregard important information or facts. Ignoramus is commonly used in the US, the UK, and Ireland as a term for someone who is willfully ignorant. Ignorance is distinguished from stupidity, although both can lead to "unwise" acts. Writer Thomas Pynchon articulated about the scope and structure of one's ignorance: "Ignorance is not just a blank space on a person's mental map. It has contours and coherence, and for all I know rules of operation as well. So as a corollary to writing about what we know, maybe we should add getting familiar with our ignorance, and the possibilities therein for writing a good story." The legal principle that ignorantia juris non excusat, literally "ignorance of the law is no excuse", stands for the proposition that the law applies also to those who are unaware of it.

Definition of ignorance in the English dictionary

The definition of ignorance in the dictionary is lack of knowledge, information, or education; the state of being ignorant.

WORDS THAT RHYME WITH IGNORANCE


adherence
ədˈhɪərəns
appearance
əˈpɪərəns
assurance
əˈʃʊərəns
circumference
səˈkʌmfərəns
clearance
ˈklɪərəns
coherence
kəʊˈhɪərəns
conference
ˈkɒnfərəns
deliverance
dɪˈlɪvərəns
difference
ˈdɪfərəns
disappearance
ˌdɪsəˈpɪərəns
endurance
ɪnˈdjʊərəns
inference
ˈɪnfərəns
insurance
ɪnˈʃʊərəns
interference
ˌɪntəˈfɪərəns
intolerance
ɪnˈtɒlərəns
perseverance
ˌpɜːsɪˈvɪərəns
preference
ˈprɛfərəns
reference
ˈrɛfərəns
severance
ˈsɛvərəns
tolerance
ˈtɒlərəns

WORDS THAT BEGIN LIKE IGNORANCE

ignition key
ignition switch
ignitron
ignobility
ignoble
ignobleness
ignobly
ignominies
ignominious
ignominiously
ignominiousness
ignominy
ignorable
ignoramus
ignorant
ignorantly
ignoratio elenchi
ignore
ignorer
ignotum per ignotius

WORDS THAT END LIKE IGNORANCE

advance
car insurance
customs clearance
entrance
Fort-de-France
fragrance
France
general insurance
health insurance
industrial insurance
liability insurance
life insurance
medical insurance
put in an appearance
reassurance
remembrance
temperance
Torrance
trance
travel insurance
zero tolerance

Synonyms and antonyms of ignorance in the English dictionary of synonyms

SYNONYMS

SYNONYMS OF «IGNORANCE»

The following words have a similar or identical meaning as «ignorance» and belong to the same grammatical category.
synonyms of ignorance

Translation of «ignorance» into 25 languages

TRANSLATOR
online translator

TRANSLATION OF IGNORANCE

Find out the translation of ignorance to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.
The translations of ignorance from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «ignorance» in English.

Translator English - Chinese

无知
1,325 millions of speakers

Translator English - Spanish

ignorancia
570 millions of speakers

English

ignorance
510 millions of speakers

Translator English - Hindi

अज्ञान
380 millions of speakers
ar

Translator English - Arabic

جَهْلٌ
280 millions of speakers

Translator English - Russian

невежество
278 millions of speakers

Translator English - Portuguese

ignorância
270 millions of speakers

Translator English - Bengali

অজ্ঞতা
260 millions of speakers

Translator English - French

ignorance
220 millions of speakers

Translator English - Malay

Kejahilan
190 millions of speakers

Translator English - German

Unkenntnis
180 millions of speakers

Translator English - Japanese

無知
130 millions of speakers

Translator English - Korean

무식
85 millions of speakers

Translator English - Javanese

Ora nggatekke
85 millions of speakers
vi

Translator English - Vietnamese

sự thiếu hiểu biết
80 millions of speakers

Translator English - Tamil

அறியாமை
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Marathi

अज्ञान
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Turkish

cehalet
70 millions of speakers

Translator English - Italian

ignoranza
65 millions of speakers

Translator English - Polish

ignorancja
50 millions of speakers

Translator English - Ukrainian

неосвіченість
40 millions of speakers

Translator English - Romanian

ignoranță
30 millions of speakers
el

Translator English - Greek

άγνοια
15 millions of speakers
af

Translator English - Afrikaans

onkunde
14 millions of speakers
sv

Translator English - Swedish

okunnighet
10 millions of speakers
no

Translator English - Norwegian

uvitenhet
5 millions of speakers

Trends of use of ignorance

TRENDS

TENDENCIES OF USE OF THE TERM «IGNORANCE»

The term «ignorance» is very widely used and occupies the 17.032 position in our list of most widely used terms in the English dictionary.
0
100%
FREQUENCY
Very widely used
92
/100
The map shown above gives the frequency of use of the term «ignorance» in the different countries.
Principal search tendencies and common uses of ignorance
List of principal searches undertaken by users to access our English online dictionary and most widely used expressions with the word «ignorance».

FREQUENCY OF USE OF THE TERM «IGNORANCE» OVER TIME

The graph expresses the annual evolution of the frequency of use of the word «ignorance» during the past 500 years. Its implementation is based on analysing how often the term «ignorance» appears in digitalised printed sources in English between the year 1500 and the present day.

Examples of use in the English literature, quotes and news about ignorance

EXAMPLES

10 QUOTES WITH «IGNORANCE»

Famous quotes and sentences with the word ignorance.
1
Akhenaton
True wisdom is less presuming than folly. The wise man doubteth often, and changeth his mind; the fool is obstinate, and doubteth not; he knoweth all things but his own ignorance.
2
Edwin Armstrong
I could never accept findings based almost exclusively on mathematics. It ain't ignorance that causes all the trouble in this world. It's the things people know that ain't so.
3
Isaac Asimov
If knowledge can create problems, it is not through ignorance that we can solve them.
4
James A. Baldwin
It is certain, in any case, that ignorance, allied with power, is the most ferocious enemy justice can have.
5
Lynne Reid Banks
Innocence is ignorance.
6
Robert Benchley
Behind every argument is someone's ignorance.
7
Paul Broun
Ignorance of the law is not a valid excuse for accused criminals, and it cannot be an excuse for members of Congress.
8
Elizabeth Barrett Browning
An ignorance of means may minister to greatness, but an ignorance of aims make it impossible to be great at all.
9
Jimmy Buffett
Is it ignorance or apathy? Hey, I don't know and I don't care.
10
John Calvin
God tolerates even our stammering, and pardons our ignorance whenever something inadvertently escapes us - as, indeed, without this mercy there would be no freedom to pray.

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «IGNORANCE»

Discover the use of ignorance in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to ignorance and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.
1
Ignorance: How It Drives Science
Contrary to the popular view of science as a mountainous accumulation of facts and data, Stuart Firestein takes the novel perspective that ignorance is the main product and driving force of science, and that this is the best way to ...
Stuart Firestein, 2012
2
The Book of General Ignorance: A Quite Interesting Book
If, like Alan Davies, you still think the Henry VIII had six wives, the earth has only one moon, that George Washington was the first president of the USA, that Bangkok is the capital of Thailand, that the largest living thing is a blue ...
John Lloyd, John Mitchinson, 2010
3
Agnotology: The Making and Unmaking of Ignorance
Agnotology—the study of how ignorance is produced and maintained—introduces a new and much-needed perspective for scholars across all fields of research, including the humanities and social sciences, business organization, and ...
Robert Proctor, Londa L. Schiebinger, 2008
4
Race and Epistemologies of Ignorance
In this chapter I explore strategic expressions of ignorance against the background of Charles W. Mills's account of epistemologies of ignorance in The Racial Contract (1997), with two interrelated goals. I want to show how Mills's discussion is ...
Shannon Sullivan, Nancy Tuana, 2012
5
The Pleasures of Ignorance
Purchase one of 1st World Library's Classic Books and help support our free internet library of downloadable eBooks.
Robert Lynd, 1stworld Library, 2005
6
Ignorance: (On the Wider Implications of Deficient Knowledge)
Such impediments set limits to inquiry and mean that while we can always extend our existing knowledge-variability here is infinite-there are things that we will never know.
Nicholas Rescher, 2009
7
Ignorance: A Novel
A New York Times Notable Book Irena and Josef meet by chance while returning to their homeland, which they had abandoned twenty years earlier.
Milan Kundera, 2003
8
QI: The Book of Animal Ignorance
Here is the eagerly anticipated follow up to The Book of General Ignorance.
John Lloyd, John Mitchinson, 2009
9
Epistemologies of Ignorance in Education
This collection highlights without apology why this dangerous state of affairs cannot continue.
Erik Malewski, Nathalia E. Jaramillo, 2011
10
The Virtues of Ignorance: Complexity, Sustainability, and ...
The Virtues of Ignorance: Complexity, Sustainability, and the Limits of Knowledge proposes an alternative to this hubristic, shortsighted, and dangerous worldview.
Bill Vitek, 2008

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «IGNORANCE»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term ignorance is used in the context of the following news items.
1
Ignorance will be no defence for tax dodgers, Treasury Minister …
Tax dodgers will no longer be able to plead ignorance if they stash their cash in offshore havens, under tough rules laid out by ministers last ... «Daily Mail, Jul 15»
2
SBOE's willful ignorance troubling - San Antonio Express-News
Anyway, Hardy's willful ignorance merits the attention she has received, but the real star of that 2010 board meeting is former State Board of ... «mySanAntonio.com, Jul 15»
3
LETTER: Ignorance is bliss | Letters | BDlive
I AM surprised that Mike Spicer's continuing espousal of the supposed capitalist verities continues to find space on your letters page (Drop ... «BDlive, Jul 15»
4
War is peace; slavery is freedom; ignorance is strength - English …
It will come in the Days of Decision, when men are inflicted with spiritual blindness, when one ignorance has been replaced with another, when ... «Pravda, Jul 15»
5
Trump's comments reflect his ignorance of Mexico, trade and …
Trump's comments reflect his ignorance of Mexico, trade and immigration. By: Guest Opinion July 16, 2015 , 7:28 pm. Glenn Hamer. TEL AVIV – The Arizona ... «Arizona Capitol Times, Jul 15»
6
Arthur Crawmer: Exercising our rights to stupidity and ignorance
Those of us fortunate enough to live in this wonderful country have a number of rights which we routinely exercise. As I approach my seventieth ... «Las Cruces Sun-News, Jul 15»
7
How Financial Ignorance Can Ruin Retirement
In my previous post, I discussed the pervasiveness of financial illiteracy. This post considers its disturbing consequences when it comes to ... «Forbes, Jul 15»
8
Historical Ignorance - The New American
The victors of war write its history in order to cast themselves in the most favorable light. That explains the considerable historical ignorance ... «The New American, Jul 15»
9
Human trafficking: the scourge of ignorance
Paraguay (MNN/E3) — Nelson Mandela, the South African anti-apartheid revolutionary, was quoted as saying, “Education is the most powerful ... «Mission Network News, Jul 15»
10
Paula Deen's offensive photos fuel ignorance - The Red and Black …
However, it is this type of ignorance – not understanding the painful history behind black face – that allows racism to be so prominent in our ... «Red and Black, Jul 15»

REFERENCE
« EDUCALINGO. Ignorance [online]. Available <https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/ignorance>. May 2024 ».
Download the educalingo app
en
English dictionary
Discover all that is hidden in the words on
index
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z