Meaning & use

underprivileged

adjective·Academic

Lacking the money, education, or opportunities that most people in society have.

See it in a sentence

The charity provides free tutoring to underprivileged children in the city.

Growing up underprivileged made her determined to help other struggling families.

A note on using this word

Underprivileged is generally preferred over older, more judgmental terms; it focuses on lack of opportunity rather than personal fault.

Words with a similar meaning

disadvantageddeprived

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

privilegedaffluent

Make it your own

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