illiterate
adjectivenounattested in dialogue
- //ɪˈlɪtəɹət//
- //ɪˈlɪtɹət//
Unable to read and write.
adjective
- 1
Unable to read and write.
About half of the population in Ethiopia is illiterate.
If publique Aſſemblies of Divines cannot agree upon a right vvay, private Conventicles of illeterate men, vvill ſoon finde a vvrong. Bivious demurres breed devious reſolutions. Paſſengers to heaven are in haſte, and vvill vvalk one vvay or other.
Not always does this ruse succeed however. The railways have undertaken publicity warning passengers about it, and have made a big difference in the appearance of long distance and short distance tickets, so that the most illiterate person can see the distinction. Some of these swindlers have been caught.
- 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.
He's illiterate […] Seriously, how did he get into RI?
- 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.
technologically illiterate, economically illiterate, emotionally illiterate
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).
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 ignorant about a given subject. (The relevant subject is usually named as a noun adjunct.)
Their government is run by business illiterates.
Sometimes a mathematical illiterate is called an innumerate.
Forms
- plural
- illiterates
- comparative
- more illiterate
- superlative
- most illiterate