Meaning & use
illiterate
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Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Not able to read or write.
Grammar: Used before a noun or after a verb: an illiterate farmer, he was illiterate.
Patterns
- be illiterate
- illiterate in something
Many adults in the village were illiterate until the night school opened.
She was illiterate when she arrived but learned to read within a year.
The law once kept illiterate citizens from voting.
adjectiveafter a verbinformal
Lacking basic knowledge or skill in a particular subject or area.
Grammar: Often follows a noun in a compound: financially illiterate, not illiterate finance.
Patterns
- illiterate about something
- financially illiterate
He admitted he was scientifically illiterate and wanted to learn more.
Many graduates are financially illiterate when they start work.
The manager was digitally illiterate and relied on an assistant.
nouncountableold-fashioned
A person who cannot read or write.
Grammar: Considered impolite when used bluntly; people who cannot read is gentler.
The program was designed to help illiterates gain confidence.
Once labeled an illiterate, he proved the label wrong by earning a degree.
Campaigns aimed to turn illiterates into readers.
Word forms
| comparative | more illiterate |
|---|---|
| superlative | most illiterate |
Common combinations
- functionally illiterate
- Some adults are functionally illiterate and cannot read a bus schedule.
- completely illiterate
- His grandmother was completely illiterate but sharp with numbers.
- financially illiterate
- Being financially illiterate can lead to costly debt.
- computer illiterate
- My uncle is computer illiterate and still writes letters by hand.
- remain illiterate
- Without schooling, many children remain illiterate.
Synonyms and how they differ
- unlettered
- A literary word for someone without formal learning, less direct than illiterate.
- unschooled
- Means lacking schooling rather than being unable to read, so it can fit someone self-taught.
- ignorant
- Means lacking knowledge in general and can sound insulting, whereas illiterate is specifically about reading and writing or a defined skill.
Opposites
Word family
- illiteracy noun
- the state of being unable to read or write
- literate adjective
- able to read and write
- literacy noun
- the ability to read and write
- semiliterate adjective
- able to read and write only a little
Commonly confused: illiterate or illiterature?
illiterate vs illiterature
This is not a word; learners sometimes confuse illiterate with innumerate, which means unable to work with numbers.
Practice
Which sentence uses illiterate in its extended, non-literal sense?
Choose one answer.
Politically illiterate means lacking basic knowledge about politics. The other sentences use illiterate in its literal sense of being unable to read or write.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “illiterate”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.