What does "ignorant" mean?

1. (lacking knowledge) not knowing about something or lacking education in a specific area. 2. (rude or ill-mannered) behaving in a way that is rude, impolite, or shows a lack of respect.

How do you use "ignorant"?

Often followed by the preposition 'of'.

Is it correct to say "He is ignorant about the law."?

No — say "He is ignorant of the law.". While 'about' is sometimes used, 'ignorant of' is the standard prepositional pairing for this sense.

ignorant

adj.

US //ˈɪɡnɝənt// UK //ˈɪɡnəɹənt// ig·no·rant

1 lacking knowledge (adj.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

not knowing about something or lacking education in a specific area.

destitute of knowledge or education; lacking information regarding a specific subject.

Example

Many people are ignorant of the new tax laws that were passed last year.

Example

The public remains largely ignorant of the complex geopolitical factors that precipitated the current energy crisis.

Usage

Often followed by the preposition 'of'.
Pitfall

He is ignorant about the law.

He is ignorant of the law.

While 'about' is sometimes used, 'ignorant of' is the standard prepositional pairing for this sense.
2 rude or ill-mannered (adj.)
C1 Advanced Informal Dialect

behaving in a way that is rude, impolite, or shows a lack of respect.

displaying a lack of manners or social grace; discourteous.

Example

It was very ignorant of him to interrupt the speaker in the middle of a sentence.

Example

The customer's ignorant behaviour toward the waitstaff caused a significant disturbance in the dining room.

Teacher's tip

In many dialects, particularly in British and Irish English, this is a very common way to call someone rude rather than just uninformed.
- rude
- impolite
- crude
- polite
- courteous

Origin

From Old French ignorant, from Latin ignōrāns (“unaware, unknowing”). By surface analysis, ignore + -ant.