ignorant

The word “ignorant” means lacking knowledge or education, generally or about a particular subject. In plain terms, not knowing something — or, informally, just plain rude.

“Ignorant” is pronounced IHG-nuh-ruhnt (/ˈɪɡ.nə.ɹənt/ in IPA).

Here is “ignorant” used in a sentence: “He was completely ignorant of the risks before he signed the contract.”

Words with a similar meaning to “ignorant” include benighted, cimmerian, foolish, clueless, ill-informed and illiterate.

The opposite of “ignorant” — its antonyms — are educated, familiar, knowledgable, learned and trained.

“Ignorant” is an adjective.

The word “ignorant” comes from Latin. From Old French ignorant, from Latin ignorans, "not knowing.".

“Ignorant” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.

"Ignorant" means lacking knowledge, which can be fixed by learning, while "stupid" means lacking intelligence, which is about ability rather than information. A brilliant person can still be ignorant of a subject they have never studied. Because the words are often confused, "ignorant" is frequently heard as an insult even when only a knowledge gap is meant.

In informal British and Irish English it can: "ignorant" is commonly used there to mean rude or badly behaved, as in "Don't be so ignorant — say thank you." In American English the word almost always means lacking knowledge, so this second sense can cause confusion between dialects.

Both are standard: "ignorant of" is the more traditional, formal pairing ("ignorant of the law"), while "ignorant about" is slightly more conversational ("ignorant about politics"). Avoid "ignorant to," which is nonstandard in careful writing.

It usually lands as an insult, even though the literal meaning — lacking knowledge of something — applies to everyone in some area and carries no judgment of intelligence. Neutral alternatives such as "unaware," "uninformed," or "unfamiliar with" describe the same gap without the sting.