Definitions
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun UK A person widely known in their community for their
stupidity andignorant behaviour.
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
The term first appears in the preface to George Bernard Shaw's play Major Barbara, which opened in 1907. Shaw discusses how some people have treated madness or idiocy as a source of humor, remarking that "I myself have had a village idiot exhibited to me as something irresistibly funny."
Support
Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word village idiot.
Examples
Sorry, no example sentences found.
Comments
Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.