349. Ignorance (See also Stupidity.)

1. Am ha-Arez those negligent in or unobservant of Torah study. [Judaism: Wigoder, 26]
2. avidya ignorance as cause of suffering through desire. [Hindu Phil.: Parrinder, 36]
3. Deane, Lucy unaware of fiancé Stephen’s obvious relationship with Maggie. [Br. Lit.: The Mill on the Floss ]
4. Dunsmen opposers of Renaissance learning (14th century); hence, dunce. [Br. Hist.: Espy, 116]
5. Islayev, Arkady so entrenched in work, oblivious to wife’s infidelities. [Russ. Lit.: A Month in the Country ]
6. It Pays to Be Ignorant panelists fail to answer such questions as “Which player on a baseball team wears a catcher’s mask?” [Am. Radio: Buxton, 120]
7. Lennie big, strong, simple-minded ranch hand. [Am. Lit.: Of Mice and Men, Magill I, 672–674]
8. Newman, Alfred E. cartoon character personifying ignorance as bliss: “What, me worry?” [Comics: “Mad” in Horn, 442]
9. Parable of the Cave cave dwellers see only the shadows of reality. [Gk. Phil.: Republic ]
10. Peppermint Patty cartoon character habitually stumped by teacher and forever failing exams. [Comics: “Peanuts” in Horn, 543]
11. Scarecrow goes to Wizard of Oz to get brains. [Am. Lit.: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz ]
12. Schweik cheerful, feeble-minded character; the antithesis of German militarism. [Czech Lit.: The Good Soldier: Schweik, Magill IV, 390–392]
13. Sweat Hogs class of incorrigible students majoring in remedial education. [TV: “Welcome Back, Kotter” in Terrace, II, 423]

ignorance ignorance of the law is no excuse for breaking it proverbial saying, early 15th century, perhaps reflecting the legal maxim ‘ignorantia iuris neminem excusat [ignorance of the law excuses nobody].’
where ignorance is bliss, 'tis folly to be wise proverbial saying, mid 18th century, now frequently abbreviated to ignorance is bliss. The saying comes from Thomas Gray's Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College (1742), ‘Thought would destroy their paradise. No more; where ignorance is bliss, 'Tis folly to be wise.’

ignorance XIII. — (O)F. — L. ignōrantia, f. prp. of ignōrāre not to know, misunderstand, disregard, rel. to ignārus unaware; see -ANCE.
So ignorant XIV. ignore †not to know XVII; (of a grand jury) reject (a bill); refuse to take notice of XIX. — (O)F. ignorer or L. ignōrāre.

ig·no·rance / ˈignərəns/ • n. lack of knowledge or information: he acted in ignorance of basic procedures.

Ignorance: see AVIDYĀ; INVINCIBLE IGNORANCE.

ignorance. See avidyā.

ignorance •abeyance, conveyance, purveyance •creance • ambience •irradiance, radiance •expedience, obedience •audience •dalliance, mésalliance •salience •consilience, resilience •emollience • ebullience •convenience, lenience, provenience •impercipience, incipience, percipience •variance • experience •luxuriance, prurience •nescience • omniscience •insouciance • deviance •subservience • transience •alliance, appliance, compliance, defiance, misalliance, neuroscience, reliance, science •allowance •annoyance, clairvoyance, flamboyance •fluence, pursuance •perpetuance • affluence • effluence •mellifluence • confluence •congruence • issuance • continuance •disturbance •attendance, dependence, interdependence, resplendence, superintendence, tendance, transcendence •cadence •antecedence, credence, impedance •riddance • diffidence • confidence •accidence • precedence • dissidence •coincidence, incidence •evidence •improvidence, providence •residence •abidance, guidance, misguidance, subsidence •correspondence, despondence •accordance, concordance, discordance •avoidance, voidance •imprudence, jurisprudence, prudence •impudence • abundance • elegance •arrogance • extravagance •allegiance • indigence •counter-intelligence, intelligence •negligence • diligence • intransigence •exigence •divulgence, effulgence, indulgence, refulgence •convergence, divergence, emergence, insurgence, resurgence, submergence •significance •balance, counterbalance, imbalance, outbalance, valance •parlance • repellence • semblance •bivalence, covalence, surveillance, valence •sibilance • jubilance • vigilance •pestilence • silence • condolence •virulence • ambulance • crapulence •flatulence • feculence • petulance •opulence • fraudulence • corpulence •succulence, truculence •turbulence • violence • redolence •indolence • somnolence • excellence •insolence • nonchalance •benevolence, malevolence •ambivalence, equivalence •Clemence • vehemence •conformance, outperformance, performance •adamance • penance • ordinance •eminence • imminence •dominance, prominence •abstinence • maintenance •continence • countenance •sustenance •appurtenance, impertinence, pertinence •provenance • ordnance • repugnance •ordonnance • immanence •impermanence, permanence •assonance • dissonance • consonance •governance • resonance • threepence •halfpence • sixpence •comeuppance, tuppence, twopence •clarence, transparence •aberrance, deterrence, inherence, Terence •remembrance • entrance •Behrens, forbearance •fragrance • hindrance • recalcitrance •abhorrence, Florence, Lawrence, Lorentz •monstrance •concurrence, co-occurrence, occurrence, recurrence •encumbrance •adherence, appearance, clearance, coherence, interference, perseverance •assurance, durance, endurance, insurance •exuberance, protuberance •preponderance • transference •deference, preference, reference •difference • inference • conference •sufferance • circumference •belligerence • tolerance • ignorance •temperance • utterance • furtherance •irreverence, reverence, severance •deliverance • renascence • absence •acquiescence, adolescence, arborescence, coalescence, convalescence, deliquescence, effervescence, essence, evanescence, excrescence, florescence, fluorescence, incandescence, iridescence, juvenescence, luminescence, obsolescence, opalescence, phosphorescence, pubescence, putrescence, quiescence, quintessence, tumescence •obeisance, Renaissance •puissance •impuissance, reminiscence •beneficence, maleficence •magnificence, munificence •reconnaissance • concupiscence •reticence •licence, license •nonsense •nuisance, translucence •innocence • conversance • sentience •impatience, patience •conscience •repentance, sentence •acceptance • acquaintance •acquittance, admittance, intermittence, pittance, quittance, remittance •assistance, coexistence, consistence, distance, existence, insistence, outdistance, persistence, resistance, subsistence •instance • exorbitance •concomitance •impenitence, penitence •appetence •competence, omnicompetence •inheritance • capacitance • hesitance •Constance • importance • potence •conductance, inductance, reluctance •substance • circumstance •omnipotence • impotence •inadvertence • grievance •irrelevance, relevance •connivance, contrivance •observance • sequence • consequence •subsequence • eloquence •grandiloquence, magniloquence •brilliance • poignance •omnipresence, pleasance, presence •complaisance • malfeasance •incognizance, recognizance •usance • recusance