out of ignorance

USAGE SUMMARY

'out of ignorance' is a correct and usable part of a sentence in written English.
You can use it to express the cause of someone's action when they do something without understanding the consequences or the full circumstances of the situation. For example: "He voted against the new law out of ignorance, not realizing how it would affect his own community."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Purely out of ignorance.

The New York Times - Sports

"It's making gold out of ignorance".

The New York Times - Health

That what he did was out of ignorance.

The New York Times

And countries are complying, many of them out of ignorance.

The New York Times - Magazine

He was begging us to keep Otto away, but out of ignorance, I didn't listen.

The New York Times

"When people don't report it's most often out of ignorance," he said.

The New York Times

"The 'innocent remark' made out of ignorance is sadly a common feature of football.

The Guardian - Sport

"Either he's doing it out of ignorance or he's trying to disrupt what we do.

The New York Times

Bird's offensive lapse was out of ignorance; Parcells's racial slur was out of arrogance.

The New York Times - Sports

He wrote that he did it -- partly out of ignorance, partly out of desperation to win.

The New York Times - Sports

The clerk, either out of ignorance or missionary zeal, gave her "U.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "out of ignorance", ensure it clearly explains the motivation behind an action, highlighting the lack of knowledge rather than malicious intent.

Common error

Avoid using "out of ignorance" when the action stems from a deliberate disregard for available information or a failure to seek necessary knowledge. In such cases, phrases like "out of negligence" or "due to carelessness" might be more appropriate.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "out of ignorance" functions as an adverbial phrase, modifying a verb by indicating the reason or cause of an action. As Ludwig AI confirms, it explains that something occurred because of a lack of knowledge or awareness.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

66%

Science

18%

Formal & Business

6%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

2%

Wiki

2%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "out of ignorance" is a common and grammatically correct prepositional phrase used to describe actions or decisions resulting from a lack of knowledge or understanding. As Ludwig AI confirms, it serves to clarify motivations, often distinguishing unintentional errors from malicious acts. Its neutral register makes it appropriate for a variety of contexts, particularly in News & Media and Science. When employing this phrase, it's crucial to differentiate genuine lack of awareness from negligence or willful disregard for information. Using related phrases like "due to unawareness" or "stemming from incomplete knowledge" can add nuance. Remember, the phrase is very common; therefore, it is suitable for most contexts.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

due to unawareness

Focuses on the lack of awareness as the direct cause.

through lack of understanding

Emphasizes the absence of comprehension.

from a position of unawareness

Highlights the starting point as being uninformed.

stemming from incomplete knowledge

Indicates that the root cause is insufficient information.

because of limited insight

Highlights the deficiency in understanding.

owing to a lack of information

Similar to 'due to', but more formal.

as a result of being uninformed

Focuses on the state of lacking information.

born of naiveté

Implies a lack of experience and worldly knowledge.

through a fog of incomprehension

Emphasizes the difficulty in understanding.

operating under false pretenses

Acting on incorrect assumptions.

FAQs

How can I use "out of ignorance" in a sentence?

Use "out of ignorance" to explain that an action was caused by a lack of knowledge or understanding, rather than malice. For example, "He made that insensitive comment "out of ignorance", not out of hate".

What are some alternatives to "out of ignorance"?

You can use phrases like "due to unawareness", "through lack of understanding", or "stemming from incomplete knowledge" to convey a similar meaning.

Is it better to say "out of ignorance" or "from ignorance"?

"Out of ignorance" is the more common and idiomatic expression. "From ignorance" is grammatically correct but less frequently used.

What's the difference between "out of ignorance" and "out of malice"?

"Out of ignorance" implies a lack of knowledge or understanding, while "out of malice" suggests an intention to do harm or cause suffering. For example, someone might spread misinformation "out of ignorance", but spread a rumor "out of malice".