inscience Now rare.
(ˈɪnʃɪəns)
[ad. L. inscientia want of knowledge, ignorance, f. inscient-em (see next), after scientia knowledge, science. Cf. obs. F. inscience (15–16th c.), It. inscienza (Florio).]
The condition of not knowing; want of knowledge; nescience, ignorance.
| 1578 Banister Hist. Man Pref. 5 Rather..a meane to indurate the cataract of inscience, then to..take it away. 1579 Lodge Def. Plays 5 Are his speeches unperfect? Sauor they of inscience? 1675 J. Smith Chr. Relig. App. 3 (L.) Their inscience of the natural cause. a 1682 Sir T. Browne Tracts (1684) 179 Not to know things without the Arch of our intellectuals..is..rather inscience than ignorance in man. 1810 Bentham Packing (1821) 179 note, On the part of the learned author..behold still the same pleasantry; or still the same simplicity and inscience. a 1896 Benson Cyprian (1897) 83 note, [His] special pleading is matched by his inscience of every technical law term. |