illiterate
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illiterate
- /ɪˈlɪtəɹət/
- /ɪˈlɪtɹət/
Where it comes from
First attested in 1425–1475, in Middle English; from Middle English illiterat(e) (“uneducated, ignorant of Latin”), borrowed from Latin illīterātus, illitterātus (“unlearned, ignorant”), itself from in- (“un-”) + līterātus, litterātus (“furnished with letters”) (see -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from lītera, littera (“letter, character”). The noun was derived from the adjective by substantivization, see -ate (noun-forming suffix).
adjective more illiterate · most illiterate · illitterate
- Unable to read and write. About half of the population in Ethiopia is illiterate.
- Having less than an expected standard of familiarity with language and literature, or having little formal education. Ignorant and ſuperſtitious wretches meaſure the actions of letterd and philoſophical men by the tattle of their nurſes or illiterate parents and companions, or by the faſhion of the country : and people of differing religions judge and condemn each other by their own tenents ; when both of them cann
- Not conforming to prescribed standards of speech or writing. Now (exc. in Nautical language, see b) it is only dialectal or an illiterate substitute for lie, its identity of form with the past tense of the latter no doubt accounting largely for the confusion.
- Ignorant in a specified way or about a specified subject. technologically illiterate, economically illiterate, emotionally illiterate
Similar: analphabetic, ignorant, uncharactered, unlettered · Opposite: literate
noun illiterates · illitterate
- An illiterate person, one either not able to read and write or not knowing how. We might also provide education plus reading and writing services to adult illiterates.
- A person ignorant about a given subject. (The relevant subject is usually named as a noun adjunct.) Their government is run by business illiterates.
Similar: analphabet, analphabetic
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: preliterate, semiliterate, unlettered, analphabetic, ignorant, uneducated, functionally illiterate, illiterate person, illiteracy, ill-informed, blind, blindness, composite, literacy, literate, double-blind
adjective
Similar: analphabetic, ignorant, uncharactered, unlettered · Opposite: literate
noun
Similar: analphabet, analphabetic
Translations
Every language
adj unable to read and write
| Español | analfabeto, iletrado, ágrafo |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 글을 모르다 geureul moreuda, 문맹의 munmaeng'ui |
| 日本語 | 文盲の monmou no, 読み書きができない yomikaki ga dekinai |
| 中文 | 文盲 wénmáng |
| हिन्दी | अशिक्षित aśikṣit, अनपढ़ anpaṛh, निरक्षर nirakṣar |
| Português | analfabeto, iletrado |
| Français | illettré, illettrée, analphabète |
| Deutsch | analphabetisch |
| Italiano | analfabeta |
| Ελληνικά | αγράμματος agrámmatos |
| Română | analfabet |
| Русский | негра́мотный negrámotnyj, необразо́ванный neobrazóvannyj |
| Tiếng Việt | dốt nát, mù chữ, thất học |
| العربية | أُمِّيّ ʔummiyy |
| עברית | אַנְאַלְפָבֵּית analfabét, אֵינוֹ יוֹדֵעַ צוּרַת א׳ einó yodéa' tzurát álef |
adj having less than an expected standard of familiarity with language and literature
| 日本語 | 無学の mugaku no |
|---|---|
| Português | iletrado |
| Français | analphabète |
| Deutsch | ungebildet, ungelehrt |
| Italiano | illetterato |
| Ελληνικά | αναλφάβητος analfávitos |
| Русский | безгра́мотный bezgrámotnyj, необразо́ванный neobrazóvannyj, неве́жественный nevéžestvennyj |
adj not conforming to prescribed standards of speech or writing
| Deutsch | ungebildet, ungelehrt |
|---|---|
| Ελληνικά | αναλφάβητος analfávitos |
| Русский | безгра́мотный bezgrámotnyj, неве́жественный nevéžestvennyj |
noun an illiterate person
| Español | analfabeto, analfabeta, iletrado, iletrada |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 문맹 munmaeng |
| 日本語 | 文盲 monmō, 非識字者 hishikijisha |
| 中文 | 文盲 wénmáng |
| Português | analfabeto, analfabeta |
| Français | illettré, illettrée, analphabète |
| Deutsch | Analphabet, Analphabetin |
| Italiano | analfabeta |
| Ελληνικά | αναλφάβητος analfávitos |
| Română | analfabet, analfabetă |
| Русский | негра́мотный negrámotnyj |
Talk about this word "illiterate." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/illiterate. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. illiterate. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/illiterate "illiterate." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/illiterate.Cite this
@misc{illiterate_2026,
title = {illiterate},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/illiterate},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
