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⇱ illiterate - WordReference.com Dictionary of English

illiterate

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UK:**UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ɪˈlɪtərət/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/ɪˈlɪtərɪt/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(i lit′ər it)


WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
il•lit•er•ate /ɪˈlɪtərɪt/USA pronunciation   adj. 
  1. unable to read and write:Many adults in this country are still illiterate.
  2. having or demonstrating a lack of knowledge in a particular field:musically illiterate.

n. [countable]
  1. an illiterate person:helped illiterates learn to read.
See -lit-.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
il•lit•er•ate  (i lit′ər it),USA pronunciation adj. 
  1. unable to read and write:an illiterate group.
  2. having or demonstrating very little or no education.
  3. showing lack of culture, esp. in language and literature.
  4. displaying a marked lack of knowledge in a particular field:He is musically illiterate.

n. 
  1. an illiterate person.
  • Latin illiterātus unlettered. See il-2, literate
  • 1550–60
il•lit′er•ate•ly, adv. 
il•lit′er•ate•ness, n. 
    1. See ignorant. 
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
illiterate /ɪˈlɪtərɪt/ adj
  1. unable to read and write
  2. violating accepted standards in reading and writing: an illiterate scrawl
  3. uneducated, ignorant, or uncultured: scientifically illiterate
 n
  1. an illiterate person
ilˈliteracy, ilˈliterateness n ilˈliterately adv
'illiterate' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):

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