Skip to content

ignoranza

ignorance

noun ee-nyoh-RAHN-tsah Rare
Mind & Emotions Attitudes

Usage Note

Ignoranza means lack of knowledge, but in colloquial Italian it can also describe rude, boorish behaviour — someone acting in an ignoranza is being uncouth, not necessarily uninformed. This dual use can confuse learners: ignorante ('ignorant') is therefore a stronger insult than the English equivalent. The verb ignorare means 'to not know' as well as 'to ignore (someone)'.

Examples

"L'ignoranza porta spesso a pregiudizi inutili."

Natural Translation

Ignorance often leads to unnecessary prejudices.

Literal Translation

The-ignorance leads often to prejudices useless.

Explore Italian by topic