ignorant

/ˈɪɡnərənt/

lacking knowledge or awareness

She was ignorant of the cultural norms in her new country.

She didn't know the cultural rules in her new country.

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

not knowing something can be better than knowing it

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

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

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

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

ign

not

prefix

orant

knowing

root

English Dictionary