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ignorant

ignorant, uneducated

adjective ee-nyoh-RAHN Rare

Origin: Latin ignorans, present participle of ignorare (not to know)

Usage Note

Ignorant can describe someone lacking knowledge on a topic (être ignorant de quelque chose — to be unaware of something) or, more pejoratively, someone generally uneducated. Unlike English, the French word does not sound rude in formal use; the noun un ignorant (an ignoramus) is more dismissive.

Examples

"Il est ignorant des règles du jeu."

Natural Translation

He is unaware of the rules of the game.

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