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ignaro

unaware, ignorant

adjective ee-NYAH-roh Rare

Origin: From Latin ignarus, from in- + gnarus 'knowing'.

Usage Note

Ignaro always takes the preposition di when followed by its object: ignaro del pericolo ('unaware of the danger'). It is a formal or literary adjective; in everyday speech Italians more often say non sapere or non essere a conoscenza di. It should not be confused with the English 'ignorant' in its pejorative sense — ignaro simply means 'not knowing'.

Examples

"Era completamente ignaro del pericolo imminente."

Natural Translation

He was completely unaware of the imminent danger.

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