ignorance
gb/ˈɪɡnɚəns/ us/ˈɪɡnɚəns/
B1
English
~ 2400
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
state
1
Lack of knowledge or awareness
When a person does not know something or does not understand it.
Usage pattern:
[someone]'s ignorance of [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'ignorance' with 'stupidity'; 'ignorance' means not knowing, while 'stupidity' means lacking intelligence.
Synonyms
unknowingness (More formal and less common; refers to the same state of not knowing.)
|
unawareness (Emphasizes not being conscious of something rather than lacking factual knowledge.)
Antonyms
knowledge (Direct opposite; having information or understanding about something.)
|
awareness (Opposite in the sense of being conscious or informed about something.)
Collocations
complete ignorance
|willful ignorance
|ignorance of the law
|out of ignorance
|remain in ignorance
Themes
education
|communication
|emotions
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- His ignorance of basic history surprised the teacher.
- The report highlighted public ignorance about climate change.
- She admitted her ignorance regarding the rules of the game.
- Ignorance is not an excuse for breaking the law.
- They lived in blissful ignorance of the danger nearby.
Learner examples
- My ignorance about the topic made it hard to join the talk.
- He showed his ignorance of the city's history.
- I was in ignorance about her plans.
- Ignorance can lead to mistakes.
- We should fight ignorance with education.
Grammar
Dictionary form
ignorance
IPA
GB/ˈɪɡnɚəns/
US/ˈɪɡnɚəns/
Syllables & stress
ig - nor - ance (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (ig)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: ignorance
- Plural: ignorance
Word family
Expressions
blissful ignorance
1/blˈɪsfəl ˈɪɡnɚəns/
fixed phrase
Happy because not knowing the truth
A happy feeling because you do not know about something bad or difficult.
Examples
- They enjoyed their holiday in blissful ignorance of the storm at home.
- Her blissful ignorance about politics kept her stress-free.
in ignorance of
1/ˈɪn ˈɪɡnɚəns əv/
fixed phrase
formal
Without knowing about something
Not knowing about something when you do it.
Examples
- She signed the contract in ignorance of its true meaning.
- He acted in ignorance of the safety rules.
ignorance is bliss
1/ˈɪɡnɚəns ˈɪz blˈɪs/
idiom
Not knowing can make you happier
Sometimes it is better and makes you happier if you do not know about bad or difficult things.
Examples
- I decided not to read the bad reviews—ignorance is bliss.
- He decided not to read the bad reviews—ignorance is bliss.
- He never asks about the company's problems; for him, ignorance is bliss.
- I never check my bank account during vacations; ignorance is bliss.