Summary
Its modern meaning developed after George Ruggle’s 1615 Play Ignoramus, a satirical comedy that mocked a lawyer whose confidence exceeded his understanding. From there, the word moved into common English as a colorful way to describe a person who is foolish, pretentious, or embarrassingly uninformed.
The usual plural is ignoramuses. Some people use ignorami, and dictionaries note that it does appear, but ignoramuses remains safer and more standard form.
In short, ignoramus is one of those wonderful words that sounds dignified while delivering a sharp jab. It is witty and old-fashioned, and the target, setting, and consequences are effectively chosen with care.
Examples of How to Use Ignoramus
Straight descriptive examples
- Only an ignoramus would dismiss the facts before reading the report.
This follows the dictionary sense of “an utterly ignorant person.” - He sounded confident in the meeting, but his comments revealed him to be an ignoramus on the subject.
This fits the meaning “an ignorant or stupid person.” - The article portrays the villain as a pompous ignoramus who mistakes noise for intelligence.
This reflects the post-1615 pejorative sense tied to a foolish, pretentious character.
Humorous or playful examples
- My friend called himself an ignoramus after assembling the bookshelf backward.
This uses the term humorously while keeping the insult self-directed. The word still carries its basic meaning of foolish ignorance. [ - Don’t act like an ignoramus—read the instructions before plugging it in.
This is a common conversational use of the noun as a jab at someone’s lack of awareness. - The senator was no genius, but he was hardly the ignoramus his critics claimed.
This uses the word in argumentative prose as a label for alleged ignorance or stupidity.
Plural examples
- A room full of ignoramuses can still sound very certain of itself.
Merriam-Webster and other sources recognize “ignoramuses” as a standard plural. - The debate panel behaved like ignoramuses, talking over one another instead of addressing the issue.
Again, this uses the standard plural form of the noun “ignorant people”.
Historical/legal example
- In early English legal practice, a grand jury could mark a bill of indictment ignoramus if the evidence was insufficient.
That historical legal usage is explicitly described in Oxford and etymological sources.