nescience

This term describes a state of not knowing, often carrying a more formal or philosophical weight than the common word ignorance. It suggests a void of knowledge or a lack of awareness that may be innate or systemic rather than a willful refusal to learn. As an uncountable noun, it does not have a plural form and cannot be counted with numbers. To quantify it, one must use partitive constructions such as a state of nescience or a degree of nescience.