Etymology Map
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Ignore

3 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means to deliberately pay no attention to

Where does the word "ignore" come from? It comes from Latin ignorare, passing through French before entering English (1610s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
ignorare
Latin · ancient
"not to know"
from 'ignarus', unaware, the root of 'ignorant'
2
Stage 2 of 3
ignorer
French · 1500s
"not to know"
modern French still means 'not to know'
3
Stage 3 of 3
ignore
English · 1610s
"not to know"
the sense 'to disregard deliberately' dates from the 1800s
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Read the full story

Ignore’s story begins in Latin: ignorare meant “not to know.” From 'ignarus', unaware, the root of 'ignorant'. By 1500s, the word had taken hold in French as ignorer. Modern French still means 'not to know'. It reached English by 1610s as ignore. The sense 'to disregard deliberately' dates from the 1800s. Today, ignore means to deliberately pay no attention to.