underprivileged

adjective

un·​der·​priv·​i·​leged ˌən-dər-ˈpriv-lijd How to pronounce underprivileged (audio)
-ˈpri-və-
1
: deprived through social or economic condition of some of the fundamental rights of all members of a civilized society
2
: of or relating to underprivileged people
underprivileged areas of the city

Examples of underprivileged in a Sentence

an organization that distributes free books to underprivileged children
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
More than any of the wide-ranging jobs Miranda has taken on in the past five years, The Warriors, a classic yarn about underprivileged New Yorkers weathering an arduous power struggle, is catnip for the 44-year-old Pulitzer Prize–winning polymath. Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2024 The evening benefitted the Entrepreneurial Scotland Foundation, a Scottish scholarship charity that provides internship opportunities for adult college students, mostly from underprivileged backgrounds. Joseph V Micallef, Forbes, 9 Oct. 2024 This ability to incorporate smaller investors and access underprivileged individuals will only improve over time, too, creating more ways for everyone to thrive as technology continues to bring the world together. Jaime Catmull, Forbes, 24 Sep. 2024 Men’s gymnastics has only 15 remaining NCAA programs in the U.S. Going forward, Richard hopes to use his position to expand gymnastics — specifically to Black and underprivileged children. Isabel Yip, NBC News, 24 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for underprivileged 

Word History

First Known Use

1896, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of underprivileged was in 1896

Dictionary Entries Near underprivileged

Cite this Entry

“Underprivileged.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/underprivileged. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

underprivileged

adjective
un·​der·​priv·​i·​leged -ˈpriv-(ə-)lijd How to pronounce underprivileged (audio)
: having fewer privileges than others : poor

More from Merriam-Webster on underprivileged

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