Ignorance
lack of knowledge, understanding, or information about something
Public ignorance about the disease is still a cause for concern.
Oxford Essential Dictionary
ignorance
noun (no plural)
not knowing about something:
Her ignorance surprised me.
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
ignorance
ig‧no‧rance AC /ˈɪɡnərəns/ BrE AmE noun [uncountable]
[Word Family: noun: ↑ignorance; adverb: ↑ignorantly; adjective: ↑ignorant]
1. lack of knowledge or information about something:
Excuse my ignorance, but how does it actually work?
ignorance of
our ignorance of the true situation
in ignorance
I would have remained in ignorance if Shaun hadn’t mentioned it.
ignorance about
public fear and ignorance about AIDS
2. ignorance is bliss used to say that if you do not know about a problem, you cannot worry about it
Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
ignorance
ig·nor·ance AW [ˈɪɡnərəns] [ˈɪɡnərəns] noun uncountable ~ (of/about sth)
a lack of knowledge or information about sth
• widespread ignorance of/about the disease
• They fought a long battle against prejudice and ignorance.
• She was kept in ignorance of her husband's activities.
• Children often behave badly out of/through ignorance.
• I hate to admit my ignorance, but how does it work?
Idiom: ignorance is bliss
Word Origin:
Middle 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’.
Thesaurus:
ignorance [ignorance] noun U, sing. (sometimes disapproving)
• There is widespread ignorance about the disease.
incomprehension • • inexperience • |often disapproving naivety • |approving innocence •
Opp: knowledge
ignorance/naivety/innocence about sth
betray/show (your) ignorance/inexperience
take advantage of sb's ignorance/inexperience/naivety/innocence
Example Bank:
• He pleaded ignorance of any wrongdoing.
• He showed a remarkable ignorance of the facts.
• He was kept in ignorance of his true identity.
• I had to confess my ignorance.
• I tried not to betray my ignorance.
• Many lives are lost through ignorance.
• Outsiders, in their ignorance, fail to understand this.
• She remained in blissful ignorance of these events.
• The sisters lived in total ignorance of each other.
• There is still widespread ignorance about this disease.
• These attitudes are based on ignorance and fear.
• This showed a profound ignorance of local customs.
• a policy based on wilful ignorance of history
• mistakes due to ignorance
• our appalling ignorance of international events
• widespread ignorance of the causes of the Civil War
• Children often behave badly out of ignorance.
• I hate to confess my ignorance, but can you explain what ‘space-time’actually is?
• I remained in blissful ignorance of what was going on.
• Many of the comments betray an appalling ignorance of the reality of these children's lives.
• She was kept in ignorance of her husband's activities.
• Some doctors believe that ignorance is bliss and do not tell their patients all the facts.
• The more he talks, the more he shows his ignorance.
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary
ignorance / ˈɪɡ.n ə r. ə ns / / -nɚ- / noun [ U ]
C2 lack of knowledge, understanding, or information about something:
Public ignorance about the disease is still a cause for concern.
Patients, it is claimed, were kept/left in ignorance of what was wrong with them.
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary
ignorance
[ɪ̱gnərəns]
N-UNCOUNT: oft N of/about n
Ignorance of something is lack of knowledge about it.
I am beginning to feel embarrassed by my complete ignorance of non-European history...
There is so much ignorance about mental illness...
In my ignorance I had never heard country & western music.
Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary
ignorance
ig·no·rance /ˈɪgnərəns/ noun : a lack of knowledge, understanding, or education : the state of being ignorant
[noncount]
• His racist attitudes were born out of ignorance.
- often + of
• Ignorance of the law is no excuse (for violating it).
• Their decisions were made in ignorance of [=without knowing] the true nature of the situation.
• When asked about the reasons for these drastic changes, she pleaded/pled ignorance. [=she said that she did not know the reasons]
[singular]
• an appalling ignorance about/of other cultures
ignorance is bliss
- used to say that a person who does not know about a problem does not worry about it;
