literate
/ˈlɪtərət/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈlɪtərət/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈli-tə-rət also ˈli-trət/ (ame, mw)
literate — adjective
- literatepositive
- more literatecomparative
- most literatesuperlative
1. having the basic skill of reading and writing, enabling someone to understand an
having the basic skill of reading and writing, enabling someone to understand and communicate through written language in everyday situations.
Esme learned to read at age five and has been literate ever since.
The village school in northern Ghana taught all its children to become literate.
collocation: become literate
The education ministry's annual survey found that ninety percent of adults in Tamil Nadu are now literate.
Maeve's grandmother joined an evening class and became literate at age sixty-two.
- illiterate
unable to read or write
文法句型
be + literate
literate + noun
常見錯誤
2. knowing enough about a particular subject to understand and discuss it confident
knowing enough about a particular subject to understand and discuss it confidently.
Putri is financially literate and manages her own investment portfolio.
collocation: financially literate
Christopher, the hiring manager at a Berlin software company, looks for candidates who are computer literate with spreadsheet skills.
Dr. Tendai's climate science course at the University of Cape Town pushes students to become literate in carbon policy.
Rodrigo is not very technologically literate and struggles with new apps.
- knowledgeable
broader; can apply to any subject without implying competence in reading and writing
- proficient
emphasises practical skill and ability rather than theoretical understanding
- ignorant
lacking knowledge of a particular subject
文法句型
be + literate + in + field of knowledge
用法筆記
This sense is almost always used with an adverb specifying the field — most commonly in compound-like phrases such as 'computer literate', 'financially literate', or 'politically literate'. The field follows the preposition 'in' in longer constructions.
常見錯誤
3. having broad cultural and literary knowledge gained through extensive reading.
having broad cultural and literary knowledge gained through extensive reading.
Élise is a highly literate woman who reads classic novels in her spare time.
collocation: highly literate
Professor Beatrix Okonkwo, an art historian, is a highly literate scholar whose lectures on Renaissance painting draw packed audiences.
pattern: deeply literate in [cultural field]
Yan came from a literate family where books filled every room of the house.
The citizens of Kyoto, a famously literate society, fill the city's public library and keep independent bookstores thriving.
- ignorant
lacking knowledge or awareness, especially of cultural matters
- uneducated
lacking formal education or cultural exposure
文法句型
be + literate
literate + noun
be + literate + in + field
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 2 (SUBJECT KNOWLEDGE): sense 3 specifically refers to broad cultural and literary knowledge acquired through reading, whereas sense 2 describes practical or technical competence in a defined field such as finance or computing.
literate — noun
1. a person who has learned to read and write and can use these abilities in everyd
a person who has learned to read and write and can use these abilities in everyday situations such as reading signs, filling out forms, or following written instructions.
The national census classifies anyone over fifteen who can read as a literate.
formal/statistical register: classified as a literate
Becoming a literate gave Folake access to written job advertisements for the first time.
Researchers compared the average salaries of literates and non-literates in rural areas.
In historical records, a literate was someone who could sign their own name on a document.
- reader
general term for someone who reads, not limited to basic literacy ability
- illiterate
a person who cannot read or write
文法句型
a + literate
literates + plural verb