unlettered
unlettered — adjective
- unletteredpositive
- more unletteredcomparative
- most unletteredsuperlative
1. not able to read or write, often because a person had little or no formal school
not able to read or write, often because a person had little or no formal schooling.
The old farmer was unlettered, but he could read the weather better than any visitor.
predicative use: was unlettered
Maribel helped unlettered adults sign their names for the first time.
attributive use: unlettered + adults
In the novel, an unlettered servant secretly asks the priest to teach him the alphabet.
The reformers opened night classes for workers who had remained unlettered since childhood.
- illiterate
the normal modern word for someone who cannot read or write
- unschooled
broader; says the person had little formal education, not necessarily that they cannot read
文法句型
an unlettered + person noun
be/remain + unlettered
用法筆記
Now rare and literary. In everyday English, use 'illiterate' or 'unable to read and write'. Avoid using 'unlettered' as a general insult for someone who lacks taste or sophistication.