English Reference
noun

ignorance

n.
US /ˈɪɡnɝəns/ UK /ˈɪɡnəɹəns/ ig·no·rance UK spelling ignorances

  1. 01 C2 Proficiency FormalArchaic Religion

    wrong actions that happen because you did not know the rules or the truth.

    sins or errors committed through a lack of knowledge rather than through malice.

    Simple

    The priest prayed for those who had committed sins in their ignorance.

    In context

    The legal defense argued that the defendant's actions were mere ignorances of the complex regulatory framework rather than a deliberate attempt to defraud the public.

When people resist using AI, rather than fear or ignorance, they may be expressing what they value.

Phys.org· 10 Sept 2026

The American Association of People with Disabilities told NPR that such a shift would “drag our nation back to a dark and shameful era of ignorance and cruelty”.

The Guardian· 28 Aug 2026

From Middle English ignoraunce, ignorance, from From Old French ignorance, from Latin ignōrantia. By surface analysis, ignor(e) + -ance.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin Latin ignōrantia
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Common
Updated