illiterate en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- /ɪˈlɪtɹət/
- (US) audio
- /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).
Meanings
-
Unable to read and write.
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.
1647, Theodore de la Guard [pseudonym; Nathaniel Ward], The Simple Cobler of Aggawam in America. […], London: […] J[ohn] D[ever] & R[obert] I[bbitson] for Stephen Bowtell, […], →OCLC, page 37:About half of the population in Ethiopia is illiterate.
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.
1953 November, 'Erca', “Ticket Frauds in the East”, in Railway Magazine, page 780:
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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.
1722, William Wollaston, “Sect. V. Truths relating to the Deity. Of his exiſtence, perfection, providence, &c.”, in The Religion of Nature Delineated, page 81:He's illiterate […] Seriously, how did he get into RI?
2021 September 15, Vivian Balakrishnan, Singapore Parliament debates on 15 September 2021:
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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.
1908, “lay v.¹”, in James A. H. Murray et al., editors, A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles (Oxford English Dictionary), volume VI, Part 1, London: Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 128:
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Ignorant in a specified way or about a specified subject.
technologically illiterate, economically illiterate, emotionally illiterate
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| illitterate | alternative, obsolete | lexicographic | |
| most illiterate | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| more illiterate | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic |
Antonyms
Coordinates
Deriveds
illiterateness · e-illiterate · nonilliterate · illiteracy · illiterately · computer illiterate
Relateds
Synonyms
uncharactered · ignorant · analphabetic · unlettered
Translations (112)
mk неписмен (unable to read and write) · uk неодуко́ваний (unable to read and write) · ms buta huruf (unable to read and write) · ba наҙан (unable to read and write) · es ágrafo (unable to read and write) · sh нѐписмен (unable to read and write) · eo analfabeta (unable to read and write) · pl niegramotny (unable to read and write) · pl analfabetka (having less than an expected standard of familiarity with language and literature) · fa بیسواد (unable to read and write) · hu analfabéta (unable to read and write) · hi अशिक्षित (unable to read and write) · ru необразо́ванный (having less than an expected standard of familiarity with language and literature) · fr illettrée (unable to read and write) · vi mù chữ (unable to read and write) · ru необразо́ванный (unable to read and write) · sv analfabetisk (unable to read and write) · hu írni-olvasni nem tudó (unable to read and write) · sv obildad (having less than an expected standard of familiarity with language and literature) · be нягра́матны (unable to read and write) · es analfabeto (unable to read and write) · ms tunaaksara (unable to read and write) · uk неписьме́нний (unable to read and write) · ang unstæfwīs (having less than an expected standard of familiarity with language and literature) · sv illitterat (having less than an expected standard of familiarity with language and literature) · cs negramotný (unable to read and write) · bg необразо́ван (having less than an expected standard of familiarity with language and literature) · grc ἀγράμματος (unable to read and write) · el αναλφάβητος (not conforming to prescribed standards of speech or writing) · sk nevzdelaný (unable to read and write) · ko 글을 모르다 (unable to read and write) · it illetterato (having less than an expected standard of familiarity with language and literature) · mr निरक्षर (unable to read and write) · gu અભણ (unable to read and write) · uk неосві́чений (unable to read and write) · ga neamhliteartha (unable to read and write) · he אֵינוֹ יוֹדֵעַ צוּרַת א׳ (unable to read and write) · kmr nexwenda (unable to read and write) · ka წერა-კითხვის უცოდინარი (unable to read and write) · ckb نەخوێندەوار (unable to read and write) · fi kouluja käymätön (having less than an expected standard of familiarity with language and literature) · de analphabetisch (unable to read and write) · fi sivistymätön (having less than an expected standard of familiarity with language and literature) · nl ongeletterd (unable to read and write) · da analfabetisk (unable to read and write) · ja 無学の (having less than an expected standard of familiarity with language and literature) · hi निरक्षर (unable to read and write) · ang unġelǣred (having less than an expected standard of familiarity with language and literature) · pt iletrado (having less than an expected standard of familiarity with language and literature) · hi अनपढ़ (unable to read and write) · vi thất học (unable to read and write) · ru безгра́мотный (not conforming to prescribed standards of speech or writing) · pl niepiśmienny (unable to read and write) · tl maang (unable to read and write) · ml നിരക്ഷരനായ (having less than an expected standard of familiarity with language and literature) · it analfabeta (unable to read and write) · ca illetrat (unable to read and write) · ru неве́жественный (not conforming to prescribed standards of speech or writing) · ar أُمِّيّ (unable to read and write) · vi dốt nát (unable to read and write) · hy անգրագետ (not conforming to prescribed standards of speech or writing) · cs nevzdělaný (unable to read and write) · sv icke läskunnig (unable to read and write) · be неадукава́ны (unable to read and write) · sl nepismen (unable to read and write) · hy անգրագետ (having less than an expected standard of familiarity with language and literature) · pt analfabeto (unable to read and write) · fr illettré (unable to read and write) · hu műveletlen (having less than an expected standard of familiarity with language and literature) · ro analfabet (unable to read and write) · ang unstæfwīs (unable to read and write) · ga ainléannta (having less than an expected standard of familiarity with language and literature) · bg необразо́ван (unable to read and write) · es iletrado (unable to read and write) · az savadsız (unable to read and write) · de ungebildet (having less than an expected standard of familiarity with language and literature) · be няпісьме́нны (unable to read and write) · kmr nexwendewar (unable to read and write) · pl analfabeta (having less than an expected standard of familiarity with language and literature) · ba наҙан (having less than an expected standard of familiarity with language and literature) · tl dinulat (unable to read and write) · nl analfabeet (unable to read and write) · id niraksara (unable to read and write) · de ungebildet (not conforming to prescribed standards of speech or writing) · ko 문맹의 (unable to read and write) · uk негра́мотний (unable to read and write) · ru негра́мотный (unable to read and write) · hy անգրագետ (unable to read and write) · cmn 文盲 (unable to read and write) · id buta huruf (unable to read and write) · ru неве́жественный (having less than an expected standard of familiarity with language and literature) · hu írástudatlan (unable to read and write) · he אַנְאַלְפָבֵּית (unable to read and write) · ru безгра́мотный (having less than an expected standard of familiarity with language and literature) · bg негра́мотен (unable to read and write) · fi lukutaidoton (unable to read and write) · ca analfabet (unable to read and write) · ml പഠിപ്പില്ലാത്ത (having less than an expected standard of familiarity with language and literature) · mi kū(w)are-ā-tuhi (unable to read and write) · hu tanulatlan (having less than an expected standard of familiarity with language and literature) · ja 文盲の (unable to read and write) · fr analphabète (unable to read and write) · id tunaaksara (unable to read and write) · ja 読み書きができない (unable to read and write) · el αγράμματος (unable to read and write) · sk negramotný (unable to read and write) · de ungelehrt (not conforming to prescribed standards of speech or writing) · fr analphabète (having less than an expected standard of familiarity with language and literature) · sh nèpismen (unable to read and write) · pt iletrado (unable to read and write) · de ungelehrt (having less than an expected standard of familiarity with language and literature) · el αναλφάβητος (having less than an expected standard of familiarity with language and literature)