Someone who is illiterate does not know how to read or write.
A large percentage of the population is illiterate.
Synonyms: uneducated, ignorant, unlettered, unable to read and write More Synonyms of illiterate
An illiterate is someone who is illiterate.
...an educational centre for illiterates.
2. adjective [usually adverb ADJECTIVE]
If you describe someone as musically, technologically, or economically illiterate, you mean that they do not know much about music, technology, or economics.
Synonyms: ignorant, unaware, inexperienced, blind More Synonyms of illiterate
illiterate in British English
(ɪˈlɪtərɪt)
adjective
1.
unable to read and write
2.
violating accepted standards in reading and writing
an illiterate scrawl
3.
uneducated, ignorant, or uncultured
scientifically illiterate
noun
4.
an illiterate person
Derived forms
illiteracy (ilˈliteracy) or illiterateness (ilˈliterateness)
noun
illiterately (ilˈliterately)
adverb
illiterate in American English
(ɪˈlɪtərɪt)
adjective
1.
ignorant; uneducated; esp., not knowing how to read or write
2.
having or showing limited knowledge, experience, or culture, esp. in some particular field
musically illiterate
3.
violating accepted usage in language
an illiterate sentence
noun
4.
an illiterate person; esp., a person who does not know how to read or write
SIMILAR WORDS: ˈignorant
Derived forms
illiterately (ilˈliterately)
adverb
Word origin
L illiteratus, unlettered: see in-2 & literate
Examples of 'illiterate' in a sentence
illiterate
At least he was able to sign his name, and bluff people into believing he was not illiterate when collecting dole or wages.
Sillitoe, Alan THE OPEN DOOR (2002)
Of course, I'm just an illiterate law student, so I'm probably not best qualified to give you an opinion.
Alex George LOVE YOU MADLY (2002)
In other languages
illiterate
British English: illiterate /ɪˈlɪtərɪt/ ADJECTIVE
Someone who is illiterate cannot read or write.
Many people are illiterate.
American English: illiterate
Arabic: أُمِّيٌّ
Brazilian Portuguese: analfabeto
Chinese: 不识字的
Croatian: nepismen
Czech: negramotný
Danish: analfabetisk
Dutch: analfabeet
European Spanish: analfabeto
Finnish: lukutaidoton
French: analphabète
German: ungebildet
Greek: αγράμματος
Italian: analfabeta
Japanese: 読み書きのできない
Korean: 문맹의
Norwegian: ikke lese- og skrivekyndig
Polish: niepiśmienny
European Portuguese: analfabeto
Romanian: analfabet
Russian: неграмотный
Latin American Spanish: analfabeto
Swedish: analfabet
Thai: ไม่สามารถอ่านและเขียนได้
Turkish: okuma yazması olmayan
Ukrainian: неписьменний
Vietnamese: mù chữ
British English: illiterate NOUN
An illiterate is someone who is illiterate.
...a subclass of illiterates.
American English: illiterate
Brazilian Portuguese: analfabeto
Chinese: 文盲
European Spanish: analfabeto
French: analphabète
German: Analphabet
Italian: analfabeta
Japanese: 文盲者
Korean: 문맹자
European Portuguese: analfabeto
Latin American Spanish: analfabeto
Chinese translation of 'illiterate'
illiterate
(ɪˈlɪtərət)
adj
[person]文盲的 (wénmáng de)
[letter, writing]语(語)言错(錯)误(誤)的 (yǔyán cuòwù de)
1 (adjective)
Definition
unable to read and write
A large percentage of the population is illiterate.
Synonyms
uneducated
He may have been an uneducated man, but he was not stupid.
ignorant
They don't ask questions for fear of appearing ignorant.
unlettered
Such misconceptions have not been confined to the unlettered masses.
unable to read and write
analphabetic
Opposites
lettered
,
educated
,
literate
2 (adjective)
Definition
uneducated or ignorant
a convenient system that even the technologically illiterate can use
Synonyms
ignorant
Many people are worryingly ignorant of the facts.
unaware
She was unaware that she was being filmed.
inexperienced
blind
All the time I was blind to your suffering.
innocent
unconscious
Mr Battersby was apparently quite unconscious of their presence.
in the dark
I managed to keep my parents in the dark.
oblivious
She appeared oblivious to her surroundings.
unwitting
We're unwitting victims of the system.
uninitiated
uninformed
benighted
untutored
the sort of inept drivel that might be produced by an untutored 12-year-old