What does "illiterate" mean?
An illiterate person, one either not able to read and write or not knowing how.
Illiterate
/ɪˈlɪtəɹət/ adj, noun
adj, noun ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An illiterate person, one either not able to read and write or not knowing how.
- Grammar: illiterate is listed as adj, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: ignorant, analphabet, analphabetic, analphabetic.
- Useful contrasts: literate, competent reader, educated.
- Usage evidence: The illiterate man was eager to increase his vocabulary.
How to use "illiterate"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "illiterate" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "illiterate" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "illiterate" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "illiterate" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "illiterate" is acting as adj, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "ignorant" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "illiterate", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 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."
- 2 a person unable to read wordnet
- 3 A person ignorant about a given subject. (The relevant subject is usually named as a noun adjunct.)
"Their government is run by business illiterates."
Adjective
- 1 Unable to read and write.
"About half of the population in Ethiopia is illiterate."
- 2 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 cannot be in the right, and it is well if either of them are."
- 3 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."
- 4 Ignorant in a specified way or about a specified subject.
"economically illiterate, emotionally illiterate"
Adjective
- 1 uneducated in the fundamentals of a given art or branch of learning; lacking knowledge of a specific field wordnet
- 2 lacking culture, especially in language and literature wordnet
- 3 not able to read or write wordnet
Example
"The illiterate man was eager to increase his vocabulary."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "illiterate"?
Common synonyms include: ignorant, analphabet, analphabetic, analphabetic, barbaric, barbarous.
How do you use "illiterate" in a sentence?
The illiterate man was eager to increase his vocabulary.
How do you pronounce "illiterate"?
Pronounced /ɪˈlɪtəɹət/.
Etymology
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).