know-nothing

[ noh-nuhth-ing ]

/ ˈnoʊˌnʌθ ɪŋ /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR know-nothing ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

an ignorant or totally uninformed person; ignoramus.

an agnostic.

(initial capital letters) U.S. History. a member of a political party (American party or Know-Nothing party) prominent from 1853 to 1856, whose aim was to keep control of the government in the hands of native-born citizens: so called because members originally professed ignorance of the party's activities.

a person whose anti-intellectualism, xenophobia, and other political attitudes recall the Know-Nothings.

adjective

grossly ignorant; totally uninformed.

agnostic.

(initial capital letters) of or relating to the Know-Nothings.

of or relating to a political know-nothing.

Origin of know-nothing

First recorded in 1815–25

OTHER WORDS FROM know-nothing

know-noth·ing·ism, noun

Words nearby know-nothing

know where one stands, know which side of one's bread is buttered, know-all, know-how, know-it-all, know-nothing, know-nothings, knowable, knowe, knowed, knowing

Example sentences from the Web for know-nothings

Instead, the Know-Nothings were briefly a force to be reckoned with.

A Brief History of Wingnuts in America; From George Washington to Woodstock |John Avlon |August 17, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
But what to do about the determination of Tea Party know-nothings and those who think just like them?

Blame Guns for Domestic Murder Epidemic |Cliff Schecter |July 10, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
They were also called the Know-Nothings, that's what they always said.

Slave Narratives: A Folk History of Slavery in the United States |Work Projects Administration
Mr. Toombs plunged at once into the canvass and proceeded, in his own vigorous way, to fight the Know-nothings.

Robert Toombs |Pleasant A. Stovall

The campaign was a crucial one, and the Know-Nothings never recovered from their defeat.

Stephen Arnold Douglas |William Garrott Brown
My old mate was substantially a man of truth; but he did love to astonish "know-nothings."

Miles Wallingford |James Fenimore Cooper
The Know-nothings arose and disappeared, without accomplishing anything.

Children of the Market Place |Edgar Lee Masters

British Dictionary definitions for know-nothings

know-nothing

noun

informal, derogatory an ignorant person

Cultural definitions for know-nothings

Know-Nothings

A party opposed to the holding of public office by immigrants or Roman Catholics. The Know-Nothings, also known as “nativists,” insisted that only true, “native” Americans should serve in the government. The party was quite successful in the 1850s but split over the slavery question. Its official name was the American party. It picked up the “Know-Nothing” tag because its members, maintaining secrecy about the party's activities, customarily answered questions with, “I know nothing.”

notes for Know-Nothings

Today, the term know-nothing is usually applied to bigots.

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

know-nothing

noun

adjective

Origin of know-nothing

OTHER WORDS FROM know-nothing

Words nearby know-nothing

Example sentences from the Web for know-nothings

British Dictionary definitions for know-nothings

noun

Cultural definitions for know-nothings

notes for Know-Nothings

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

know-nothing

noun

adjective

Origin of know-nothing

OTHER WORDS FROM know-nothing

Words nearby know-nothing

Words related to know-nothings

Example sentences from the Web for know-nothings

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noun

Cultural definitions for know-nothings

notes for Know-Nothings

British Dictionary definitions for know-nothings