illiterate
Noun · AdjectiveUS[il-it-er-uht]/ˌɪˈlɪtɚət/4 syllables
Open English WordNet
Adjective (3)
- not able to read or writeOpposite literateSimilar preliterate, semiliterate, functionally illiterate, analphabeticRelates to literacySee also uneducated
- uneducated in the fundamentals of a given art or branch of learning; lacking knowledge of a specific field“she is ignorant of quantum mechanics”“he is musically illiterate”Synonyms: ignorantOpposite educatedSimilar uneducated
- lacking culture, especially in language and literatureOpposite literate
Noun (1)
- a person unable to readSynonyms: illiterate personnonreaderType of ignoramus, know nothingKinds functional illiterate, analphabet
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gregariousadjective
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Webster's Dictionary (1913)
Il·lit′er·ate adjective
Origin: L. illiteratus: pref. il- not + literatus learned. See In- not, and Literal.
Unable to read or write; ignorant of letters or books; unlettered; uninstructed; uneducated; as, an illiterate man, or people.
Synonyms: Ignorant; untaught; unlearned; unlettered; unscholary. See Ignorant.
— Il·lit′wb-a1′>′er·ate·ly, adverb — Il·lit′wb-a1′>′er·ate·ness, noun
Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), from GCIDE 0.54