Meaning & use
functional illiterate
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountabletechnical
A person who has some basic reading and writing skills but not enough to handle everyday tasks like forms, labels, or instructions.
Grammar: Countable; use 'a' or 'an' before it, and plural 'functional illiterates' is possible but less common than 'functionally illiterate people'.
Patterns
- a functional illiterate
- functional illiterates
The report says many adults in the region are functional illiterates who struggle with job applications.
She works with functional illiterates who can sign their names but cannot read a bus schedule.
A functional illiterate may hide their difficulty by asking others to read documents aloud.
adjectivebefore a nountechnical
Able to read and write only at a very basic level, not enough for everyday life.
Grammar: Used before a noun: a functional illiterate adult. The adverb form 'functionally illiterate' is more common when describing someone after a verb.
Patterns
- functional illiterate adult
- functional illiterate worker
The program targets functional illiterate adults who want to improve their reading.
A functional illiterate worker might not understand safety instructions on a machine.
Teachers are trained to spot functional illiterate students early.
Word forms
| plural | functional illiterates |
|---|
Common combinations
- functional illiterate adult
- The class is designed for functional illiterate adults returning to education.
- functionally illiterate
- He is functionally illiterate and needs help with official paperwork.
- become a functional illiterate
- Without practice, a person can become a functional illiterate over time.
- high rate of functional illiterates
- The survey found a high rate of functional illiterates among young adults.
Synonyms and how they differ
- semi-literate
- Semi-literate means having limited reading and writing skills; it is less formal and less precise than functional illiterate.
- illiterate
- Illiterate means unable to read or write at all, which is stronger than functional illiterate, where some basic skills exist.
Opposites
Word family
- functional illiteracy noun
- The condition of having very limited reading and writing skills for everyday life.
- functionally illiterate adjective
- Describing someone who has only basic reading and writing skills.
Commonly confused: functional illiterate or illiterate?
functional illiterate vs illiterate
Illiterate means completely unable to read or write, while functional illiterate means having some basic skills that are not enough for daily tasks.
Practice
The literacy program is designed for ______ who can read simple words but cannot fill out a job application.
Choose one answer.
The plural noun 'functional illiterates' fits because the sentence needs a plural noun for a group of people. 'Functional illiterate' is singular and would need 'a' before it. 'Functionally illiterates' is wrong because 'functionally' is an adverb and cannot modify a plural noun. 'Functional illiteracy' is the condition, not the people.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “functional illiterate”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.