adj.
Pronunciation: ' ig-n( ə -)r ə nt
Function: adjective
Date: 14th century
1 a : destitute of knowledge or education <an ignorant society> also : lacking knowledge or comprehension of the thing specified <parents ignorant of modern mathematics> b : resulting from or showing lack of knowledge or intelligence < ignorant errors>
2 : UNAWARE , UNINFORMED
– ig · no · rant · ly adverb
– ig · no · rant · ness noun
synonyms IGNORANT , ILLITERATE , UNLETTERED , UNTUTORED , UNLEARNED mean not having knowledge. IGNORANT may imply a general condition or it may apply to lack of knowledge or awareness of a particular thing <an ignorant fool> < ignorant of nuclear physics>. ILLITERATE applies to either an absolute or a relative inability to read and write <much of the population is still illiterate >. UNLETTERED implies ignorance of the knowledge gained by reading <an allusion meaningless to the unlettered >. UNTUTORED may imply lack of schooling in the arts and ways of civilization <strange monuments built by an untutored people>. UNLEARNED suggests ignorance of advanced subjects <poetry not for academics but for the unlearned masses>.