Ask the Editor
What preposition should be used after "ignorant"?
Question
Which is correct, "He is ignorant TO our rules" or "He is ignorant OF our rules"? Which is the right preposition to use after ignorant?
—
Mahmoud
,
United Arab Emirates
Answer
The adjective ignorant, which means “lacking knowledge or information,” is often used with the prepositions of and about, as shown in the three examples below. In each of these sentences, either ignorant of or ignorant about can be used:
- They were ignorant of/about the facts.
- I am totally ignorant of/about Chinese history.
- He remains ignorant of/about their finances.
On the other hand, ignorant to is rarely used, and in your example sentence:
- He is ignorant to/of our rules.
ignorant of sounds very natural, while ignorant to sounds awkward and wrong.
Therefore in general, I would recommend using of or about, rather than to.
I hope this helps.
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