ignorance

noun

ˈig-n(ə-)rən(t)s How to pronounce ignorance (audio)
Definition of ignorancenext
1
as in unfamiliarity
the state of being unaware or uninformed ignorance of the law is no excuse

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in illiteracy
the state of being unlearned with such vast sums spent on education, the level of ignorance among graduating seniors is a national disgrace

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ignorance Sanders also alleged around the same time that Democrats had mostly ignored working-class priorities, saying that ignorance was a major factor in costing them the White House and Senate in the recent elections. — Tara Suter, The Hill, 20 Feb. 2025 This executive order is politically motivated, cruel and based on ignorance, not on facts. — Amy-Lynn Fischer, The Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2025 This condition is what philosopher Charles Mills, speaking of the American context, labeled epistemological ignorance—a deliberate unknowing, an insistence on the myth of white superiority, of white exceptionalism. — Christine Winter, Artforum, 1 Mar. 2025 These misguided concerns are due to a willful ignorance of how and why the city is proposing to structure the payments. — Pat Dowell, Chicago Tribune, 24 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ignorance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ignorance
  1. illiteracy
  2. innocence
  3. stupidity
  4. foolishness
Noun
  • The National Financial Educators Council reports that financial illiteracy cost Americans more than $436 billion in 2022.
    — Dr. Aman Alzubier, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2025
  • Johnson also highlighted the dangers of financial illiteracy, referencing both the 2008 financial crisis and the current student loan crisis as examples of how a lack of understanding can lead to catastrophic outcomes.
    — Jonathan Granoff, Newsweek, 29 Jan. 2025
Definition of illiteracy
Noun
  • However, O’Neill Burke said the office’s position on issuing certificates of innocence has shifted.
    — Madeline Buckley, Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 2025
  • Pitino maintained his innocence throughout that scandal, which included allegations that Adidas representatives funneled $100,000 to the family of a Louisville recruit.
    — Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 17 Mar. 2025
Definition of innocence
Noun
  • Beausoleil makes that claim, and argues that stupidity and self-preservation is also a sound reason for the Manson murders.
    — Jake Kring-Schreifels, TIME, 7 Mar. 2025
  • Brooks – an author of books on the human condition -- is careful to delineate stupidity from intelligence.
    — John Baldoni, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2025
Definition of stupidity
Noun
  • Feig amps up the irreverence, dialing up the foolishness to truly unserious levels.
    — Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Mar. 2025
  • More recently, however, both the manosphere and the alt-right have adopted the term cuck as a more general synonym for weakness, desperation and foolishness.
    — Brooke Scelza, Scientific American, 19 Sep. 2024
Definition of foolishness

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Cite this Entry

“Ignorance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ignorance. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on ignorance

Nglish: Translation of ignorance for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ignorance

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