ignorer

Ignorer is a French verb meaning to ignore, to be unaware of, or to disregard. It can describe both failing to notice information and intentionally paying no attention to someone or something. The verb can take meanings ranging from not knowing a fact to intentionally snubbing or omitting acknowledgement of a person or rule.

In French, ignorer is a regular -er verb and follows standard conjugation patterns. Present tense forms are: j’ignore, tu ignores, il/elle/on ignore, nous ignorons, vous ignorez, ils/elles ignorent. The past participle is ignoré, used with avoir in compound tenses (e.g., j’ai ignoré). Other tenses include j’ignorais (imparfait), j’ignorerai (futur), and que j’ignore (subjonctif). The verb also appears in phrases such as ignorer une règle (to ignore a rule) or ignorer quelqu’un (to ignore someone, i.e., to pay no attention to them).

Etymology and relation to other words: ignorer comes from Latin ignorare, meaning “not to know,” and is cognate with the English word ignore. In English-language contexts, ignorer is not a standard term; the verb ignore is used instead, and the noun form “an ignorant person” or phrases like “someone who ignores others” convey related meanings.

Usage notes: In everyday French, ignorer can indicate simple lack of knowledge (je l’ignore) or deliberate disregard (ignorer une directive). The intensity and intention depend on context, and caution is advised when translating to English, where “ignore” covers both senses, while “to disregard” may better capture the intentional nuance. See also ignore, ignore (French-English cognates), and ignorer quelqu’un.