illiterate
/ɪˈlɪtərət/ (bre, ipa) · /ɪˈlɪtərət/ (ame, ipa) · /(ˌ)i(l)-ˈli-t(ə-)rət/ (ame, mw) · /ɪˈlɪt.ər.ət/ (bre, ipa) · /ɪˈlɪt̬.ɚ.ət/ (ame, ipa)
illiterate — adjective
- illiteratepositive
- more illiteratecomparative
- most illiteratesuperlative
1. lacking the basic skill of reading or writing words, usually because a person ne
lacking the basic skill of reading or writing words, usually because a person never had the chance to go to school.
Eliska's grandmother grew up in a village and remained illiterate her whole life.
predicative use: remain / be illiterate
About one in five adults in the region is still illiterate, mostly older women.
statistical context: rate of being illiterate in a population
Arjun teaches free evening classes for illiterate workers at the local factory.
Many illiterate adults feel ashamed to ask for help when filling out a form.
The charity sends teachers into prisons to help illiterate inmates learn the alphabet.
- unlettered
literary; sounds old-fashioned
- unschooled
broader — covers lack of any formal education, not just reading
- literate
able to read and write
用法筆記
Often modifies a group noun (illiterate adults, illiterate farmers, illiterate population). When used of an individual, prefer predicative position ("she is illiterate") to soften the social judgment.
常見錯誤
2. knowing almost nothing about a specific topic such as computers, money, or scien
knowing almost nothing about a specific topic such as computers, money, or science, often used as part of a compound word like computer-illiterate.
Naoko admits she is completely computer-illiterate and asks her son to send all her emails.
compound: computer-illiterate
Many graduates leave university financially illiterate, with no idea how to file taxes.
compound: financially illiterate
Hugo joked that he was musically illiterate and could not even read a simple tune.
Politicians who are scientifically illiterate often make poor decisions about climate policy.
The teacher worried that her students were becoming media-illiterate, unable to spot fake news.
- ignorant
broader; often sounds rude on its own
- uninformed
neutral; suggests missing information rather than missing training
- literate
knowledgeable about the topic (computer-literate, financially literate)
文法句型
[noun]-illiterate
用法筆記
Almost always appears in a compound with an adverb or noun (computer-illiterate, financially illiterate, media-illiterate). Distinguish from sense 1, which describes the basic reading-and-writing skill on its own.
常見錯誤
illiterate — noun
- illiteratesingular
- illiteratesplural
1. a person who is unable to read or write, often discussed in reports about educat
a person who is unable to read or write, often discussed in reports about education or poverty.
Putri's charity runs free classes for illiterates in remote farming villages.
plural form: illiterates as a group
The new government report counts roughly two million illiterates across the country.
statistical report context
Amani argues that calling people illiterates strips away their dignity and other skills.
Volunteer tutors at the library spent the summer teaching adult illiterates to read children's books.
- non-reader
softer, more neutral; common in education research
- literate
as a noun, refers to a person who can read and write
用法筆記
Many speakers now avoid the noun and prefer the phrase "people who cannot read or write" because the label sounds dismissive. Keep the noun for formal statistics or historical writing.