illiterate

[ ih-lit-er-it ]

adjective

1. unable to read and write:

   an illiterate group.

2. having or demonstrating very little or no education.
3. showing lack of culture, especially in language and literature.
4. displaying a marked lack of knowledge in a particular field:

   He is musically illiterate.

noun

1. an illiterate person.

illiterate

/ ɪˈlɪtərɪt /

adjective

1. unable to read and write
2. violating accepted standards in reading and writing

   an illiterate scrawl

3. uneducated, ignorant, or uncultured

   scientifically illiterate

noun

1. an illiterate person

Derived Forms

• ilˈliterately, adverb
• ilˈliteracy, noun

Other Words From

• il·liter·ate·ly adverb
• il·liter·ate·ness noun
• semi-il·liter·ate adjective
• semi-il·liter·ate·ly adverb
• semi-il·liter·ate·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of illiterate¹

First recorded in 1550–60, illiterate is from the Latin word illiterātus unlettered. See il- ², literate

Synonym Study

See ignorant.

Example Sentences

Much hand-wringing has already been written about Gen Alpha being illiterate iPad babies who are doomed to a society of our own making, but Carter doesn’t think the rise of “chat” is any more special than the popularization of any other slang term.

From Slate

That’s especially true when an economically illiterate news media stokes consumer fears.

From Los Angeles Times

In the last major study conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics, in 2003, 60 percent of incarcerated people were found to be functionally phonemically illiterate—that is, although they could pronounce written words, they could not parse meaning from texts written above a fourth-grade level.

From Slate

When Pedro Almodóvar was a young boy, his mother would read and translate letters for their illiterate neighbors.

From Los Angeles Times

People have published financial advice for generations, but vertical video apps have empowered financially illiterate creators to push their ideas directly to other financially illiterate users.

From Slate

Related Words

• ignorant
• uneducated