am ha'aretz

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Meaning · English

An ignoramus.

Register: slang

Where it’s used: Used American English

Examples

[…] implying that the Chief Rabbi shlita was an am haaretz who did not know the difference between an aleph and an ayin.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “am ha'aretz” mean?

An ignoramus.

Is “am ha'aretz” formal or informal?

am ha'aretz is generally slang.