n. [ L., we are ignorant. See Ignore. ] 1. (Law) We are ignorant; we ignore; -- being the word formerly written on a bill of indictment by a grand jury when there was not sufficient evidence to warrant them in finding it a true bill. The phrase now used is, “No bill, ” “No true bill, ” or “Not found, ” though in some jurisdictions “Ignored” is still used. Wharton (Law Dict. ). Burn. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (pl. Ignoramuses ) A stupid, ignorant person; a vain pretender to knowledge; a dunce. [ 1913 Webster ]

An ignoramus in place and power. South. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F., fr. L. ignorantia. ] 1. The condition of being ignorant; the lack of knowledge in general, or in relation to a particular subject; the state of being uneducated or uninformed. [ 1913 Webster ]

Ignorance is the curse of God,
Knowledge the wing wherewith we fly to heaven. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Theol.) A willful neglect or refusal to acquire knowledge which one may acquire and it is his duty to have. Book of Common Prayer. [ 1913 Webster ]

Invincible ignorance (Theol.), ignorance beyond the individual's control and for which, therefore, he is not responsible before God. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ F., fr. L. ignorans, -antis, p. pr. of ignorare to be ignorant. See Ignore. ] 1. Destitute of knowledge; uninstructed or uninformed; untaught; unenlightened. [ 1913 Webster ]

He that doth not know those things which are of use for him to know, is but an ignorant man, whatever he may know besides. Tillotson. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Unacquainted with; unconscious or unaware; -- used with of. [ 1913 Webster ]

Ignorant of guilt, I fear not shame. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Unknown; undiscovered. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Ignorant concealment. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Alas, what ignorant sin have I committed? Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Resulting from ignorance; foolish; silly. [ 1913 Webster ]

His shipping,
Poor ignorant baubles! -- on our terrible seas,
Like eggshells moved. Shak.

Syn. -- Uninstructed; untaught; unenlightened; uninformed; unlearned; unlettered; illiterate. -- Ignorant, Illiterate. Ignorant denotes lack of knowledge, either as to single subject or information in general; illiterate refers to an ignorance of letters, or of knowledge acquired by reading and study. In the Middle Ages, a great proportion of the higher classes were illiterate, and yet were far from being ignorant, especially in regard to war and other active pursuits. [ 1913 Webster ]

In such business
Action is eloquence, and the eyes of the ignorant
More learned than the ears. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

In the first ages of Christianity, not only the learned and the wise, but the ignorant and illiterate, embraced torments and death. Tillotson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A person untaught or uninformed; one unlettered or unskilled; an ignoramous. [ 1913 Webster ]

Did I for this take pains to teach
Our zealous ignorants to preach? Denham. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The spirit of those who extol the advantage of ignorance; obscurantism. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One opposed to the diffusion of knowledge; an obscurantist. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a ignorant manner; without knowledge; inadvertently. [ 1913 Webster ]

Whom therefoer ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. Acts xvii. 23. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Ignored p. pr. & vb. n. Ignoring. ] [ L. ignorare; pref. in- not + the root of gnarus knowing, noscere to become acquainted with. See Know, and cf. Narrate. ] 1. To be ignorant of or not acquainted with. [ Archaic ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Philosophy would solidly be established, if men would more carefully distinguish those things that they know from those that they ignore. Boyle. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Law) To throw out or reject as false or ungrounded; -- said of a bill rejected by a grand jury for lack of evidence. See Ignoramus. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Hence: To refuse to take notice of; to shut the eyes to; not to recognize; to disregard willfully and causelessly; as, to ignore certain facts; to ignore the presence of an objectionable person. [ 1913 Webster ]

Ignoring Italy under our feet,
And seeing things before, behind. Mrs. Browning. [ 1913 Webster ]