Meaning & use
underprivileged
Last updated
Meaning
adjectivecomparableformal
Having far less money, education or chance to get ahead than most other people in the same society.
Grammar: Used before nouns or as 'the underprivileged': underprivileged children.
Patterns
- underprivileged families
- help the underprivileged
The program provides free tutoring to underprivileged students.
She grew up in an underprivileged neighborhood with few services.
Donations helped underprivileged families buy winter coats.
Common combinations
- underprivileged children
- The camp is for underprivileged children.
- underprivileged families
- Underprivileged families received food boxes.
- underprivileged background
- He came from an underprivileged background.
- underprivileged community
- The library serves an underprivileged community.
- help the underprivileged
- The charity exists to help the underprivileged.
Synonyms and how they differ
- disadvantaged
- Disadvantaged is the more current term and is also used in official policy.
- poor
- Poor refers to money only, while underprivileged also includes lack of education or opportunity.
- needy
- Needy emphasizes requiring help now and may sound patronizing.
- deprived
- Deprived suggests lacking basics like food or housing, a stronger claim.
Opposites
Word family
- privilege noun
- a special advantage
- privileged adjective
- having advantages most do not
- privilege verb
- to give an advantage to
- underprivilege noun
- rare noun for lack of advantage
Commonly confused: underprivileged or underpaid?
underprivileged vs underpaid
Underpaid means receiving too little pay for work, which is narrower than underprivileged.
Practice
A scholarship fund for students who lack money and opportunity helps ___ students.
Choose one answer.
Underprivileged describes people with limited resources and opportunity. Privileged is the opposite.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “underprivileged”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.