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ignorant

/ˈɪɡnərənt/
adjective★Intermediate— lacking knowledge or awareness
general

Lacking knowledge, education, or awareness about a particular subject or situation.

He was ignorant of the dangers of smoking.

He didn't know the risks of smoking.

Ignorance is not an excuse for breaking the law.

Not knowing the law doesn't justify breaking it.

💡

The term can be neutral or negative depending on context.

Collocations

willful ignorancedeliberately avoiding knowledgeblissful ignorancehappy not knowing something

Synonyms

uninformedunawareuneducatednaive

Antonyms

knowledgeableawareinformededucated

Related Phrases

ignorance is blissproverb
not knowing something can be better than knowing it

💡Pro Tip

Avoiding offense

Use 'uninformed' or 'unaware' instead of 'ignorant' to sound more neutral.

⚡Gold Rule

Context matters

'Ignorant' can be offensive if used to describe people rather than situations.

📖Word Origin

From Middle English 'ignorant', from Old French 'ignorant', from Latin 'ignorans', present participle of 'ignorare' (to not know).

📝Usage Notes

While 'ignorant' can describe a lack of knowledge, it is often used to imply a negative judgment about someone's lack of awareness.

Word Breakdown

ign
not
prefix
+
orant
knowing
root
English Dictionary

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