lettered

American  

[let-erd] / ˈlɛt ərd /

adjective

1. educated or learned.

2. of, relating to, or characterized by learning or literary culture.

3. marked with or as if with letters.

---

lettered British  

/ ˈlɛtəd /

adjective

1. well educated in literature, the arts, etc

2. literate

3. of or characterized by learning or culture

4. printed or marked with letters

---

Other Word Forms

• well-lettered adjective

Etymology

Origin of lettered

Middle English word dating back to 1275–1325; letter ¹, -ed ³

Explanation

Describing a friend as lettered is a compliment — you're remarking on her educational success and knowledge. People are especially lettered when they've read a lot of books. Though you'd never want to describe yourself as lettered — you'd sound like a show off — it's a great way to describe a scholarly friend. Lettered people are well-educated and well-read, and are often academics, either teaching or researching their areas of interest. The origin of lettered is littera, "letter of the alphabet" or "document," and its plural form, litteræ, which means "literature or books."

Example Sentences

"We have spoken with pupils in our schools and have also lettered parents for awareness."

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026

He lettered from 1963-65 on Kentucky’s varsity under Charlie Bradshaw after playing on the freshman squad and was a consensus first team All-America as a senior.

From Washington Times • Oct. 30, 2023

She sat on the floor wide-eyed and curious as she reached for one of the plush lettered blocks Mariscal brought for her.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 20, 2023

He lettered three years as a punter and kicker in high school, and came to WSU as a preferred walk-on.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 17, 2023

Major Sanderson proudly lettered “Contradiction” on his pad with his thick black pencil.

From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller