in order not to know

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "in order not to know" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when expressing a purpose or intention to avoid knowledge or awareness of something. Example: "She chose to stay away from the news in order not to know about the ongoing crisis."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

And he fell asleep in order not to know his death.

The New Yorker

I like to leave home in order not to know what's around the corner or where I stand in the cultural landscape.

The New York Times - Travel

I didn't ask for a peek at Warren Buffett's portfolio: in order not to know how much preferred stock he acquired in Goldman Sachs I would have to confine my periodical reading to National Geographic.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

But the show stands up for learning — for knowing the things you need to know in order not to repeat them, and things you need to know in order to do them again.

Los Angeles Times

Personality tests ask people to agree or disagree with statements like "Often I cross the street in order not to meet someone I know," "I often was in trouble in school," "Before I do something I try to consider how my friends will react to it" and "People say insulting and vulgar things about me".

The New York Times - Magazine

You know, we chose metformin in order not to talk about it anymore".

Science Magazine

What prevents such philosophers from denying that God is omniscient is that they contend there are no truths about future free actions, or that while there are truths about the future, God freely decides not to know them in order to preserve free choice.

SEP

Montaigne is putting his judgment to trial on whatever subject, in order not only to get to know its value, but also to form and strengthen it.

SEP

Says Yuan, "I draw a line to divide this space in two in order to know where I am, not to render this space unfamiliar, to imagine that I may not be alone so that there is room for a dialogue for movement". .

Vice

The large volume of data helped considerably in the annotation process, during which the coding sequences and their lengths were adjusted in order to not to controvert known transcript boundaries.

BMC Genomics

It is important to understand why you are hanging on to the piece of paper, and what action it may or may not require, in order to know how and where to store it.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "in order not to know", ensure the context clearly indicates a deliberate choice to avoid information, not simply a lack of knowledge. For example, "He avoided the news in order not to know the election results until later."

Common error

Avoid using "in order not to know" when the lack of knowledge is unintentional or accidental. The phrase implies a deliberate action to remain uninformed, not a simple absence of information.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "in order not to know" functions as an infinitive phrase of purpose, indicating the reason why someone is taking a certain action. This phrase is used to express a deliberate attempt to avoid gaining information or becoming aware of something. Ludwig examples illustrate its use in various contexts, from avoiding news to escaping the reality of death.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Science

20%

Wiki

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "in order not to know" is a grammatically sound construction used to express a conscious effort to avoid gaining knowledge about something. While not overly common, as shown by Ludwig's examples, it appears in diverse contexts, especially news and media. The phrase implies a deliberate intention to remain uninformed, setting it apart from simply lacking knowledge. As Ludwig AI suggests, it is important to ensure that the context supports this intentionality when using the phrase. Alternatives like "to avoid knowing" or "so as not to know" offer similar meanings with subtle differences in emphasis.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

so as not to be aware

Replaces "in order" with "so as", altering the sentence's flow slightly.

for the purpose of avoiding knowledge

More formal and explicit in stating the intention to evade awareness.

to avoid being informed

Uses "avoid" instead of expressing purpose, focusing on the action of preventing information intake.

with the intention of staying ignorant

Highlights the deliberate choice to remain unaware.

to remain ignorant

Emphasizes the state of lacking knowledge as the desired outcome.

to stay uninformed

Focuses on maintaining a state of not having information.

intending to remain oblivious

Implies a conscious decision to be unaware or disregard something.

deliberately avoiding awareness

Stresses the conscious and intentional nature of preventing oneself from knowing something.

choosing to disregard information

Focuses on the active choice to ignore available information.

to purposefully ignore the facts

Suggests a willful act of neglecting or dismissing factual information.

FAQs

How can I rephrase "in order not to know"?

Alternatives include "so as not to know", "to avoid knowing", or "to remain uninformed", depending on the specific nuance you wish to convey.

Is it grammatically correct to use "in order not to know"?

Yes, "in order not to know" is grammatically correct. It functions as an infinitive phrase expressing a purpose or intention to avoid gaining knowledge.

When is it appropriate to use "in order not to know"?

"In order not to know" is appropriate when someone is intentionally avoiding information or awareness about a specific topic or event. For instance, "She closed her eyes in order not to know what was happening."

What is the difference between "in order not to know" and "so as not to know"?

The phrases "in order not to know" and "so as not to know" are nearly interchangeable. They both express the intention of avoiding knowledge, but "in order" is slightly more formal.