Idiom idiom
willful ignorance
Meaning
A decision in bad faith to avoid becoming informed about something so as to avoid having to make undesirable decisions that such information might prompt.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“His willful ignorance about the budget problems makes things worse.”
“She chose willful ignorance regarding the company's unethical practices to keep her high-paying job.”
“The politician maintained a state of willful ignorance, refusing to acknowledge the mounting evidence that contradicted his long-standing policy positions.”
Anchors to
Last updated August 10, 2026