illiterate 1 of 2

adjective

(ˌ)i(l)-ˈli-t(ə-)rət How to pronounce illiterate (audio)
Definition of illiteratenext
1
as in ungrammatical
violating approved patterns of speaking and writing most of the messages left on the Web site's bulletin board are illiterate

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ignorant
lacking in education or the knowledge gained from books offered menus with pictures, presumably for the many illiterate people who must eat there

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

illiterate

2 of 2

noun

as in ignoramus

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word illiterate distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of illiterate are ignorant, unlearned, unlettered, and untutored. While all these words mean "not having knowledge," illiterate applies to either an absolute or a relative inability to read and write.

much of the population is still illiterate

Where would ignorant be a reasonable alternative to illiterate?

While the synonyms ignorant and illiterate are close in meaning, ignorant may imply a general condition or it may apply to lack of knowledge or awareness of a particular thing.

an ignorant fool
ignorant of nuclear physics

When is unlearned a more appropriate choice than illiterate?

The synonyms unlearned and illiterate are sometimes interchangeable, but unlearned suggests ignorance of advanced subjects.

poetry not for academics but for the unlearned masses

When can unlettered be used instead of illiterate?

The meanings of unlettered and illiterate largely overlap; however, unlettered implies ignorance of the knowledge gained by reading.

an allusion meaningless to the unlettered

When might untutored be a better fit than illiterate?

In some situations, the words untutored and illiterate are roughly equivalent. However, untutored may imply lack of schooling in the arts and ways of civilization.

strange monuments built by an untutored people

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of illiterate
Adjective
That’s especially true when an economically illiterate news media stokes consumer fears. — Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2024 People in Europe were almost entirely illiterate, while there was a high degree of literacy and numeracy in the Muslim world. — David Conrads, The Christian Science Monitor, 30 Jan. 2025 Would Bashir relinquish the south to let it be governed by a former enemy in a cowboy hat, who presided over a territory with fewer than 100 miles of paved roads and a population that was 80% illiterate? — Jeffrey Fleishman, Los Angeles Times, 29 Dec. 2024 In centuries past, a town crier would read out the news or announcements to villagers, many of them illiterate. — Mimi Montgomery, Axios, 26 Nov. 2024 See All Example Sentences for illiterate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for illiterate
  1. ungrammatical
  2. ignorant
  3. ignoramus
  4. know-nothing
Adjective
  • And in general, the A.I. bots were useful for sharpening prose and cleaning up clunky, ungrammatical sentences.
    — Brian X. Chen, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2023
  • That could be useful for conversations where telegraphic, ungrammatical messages would come off as impolite.
    — Tom Simonite, Wired, 18 Oct. 2020
Definition of ungrammatical
Adjective
  • Musk’s blind and ignorant closing of USAID has blacked out our billboard to the world of what America is about.
    — Llewellyn King, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Feb. 2025
  • For one thing, Overstreet seemed set on portraying Black history in a way that was neither overly dour nor entirely ignorant of past violence.
    — Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 4 Feb. 2025
Definition of ignorant
Noun
  • And yet Danielle is currently playing The Traitors so poorly — making big, sloppy, conspicuous moves, alienating potential allies, and fancying herself an Oscar-winning actress while displaying community-center theatrics — that even scene-stealing ignoramus Tom Sandoval has taken notice.
    — Joe Reid, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2025
  • And finally, there is Remy (Guillaume Cyr), a well-meaning security guard at the Quebec Maple Association who is a bit of an ignoramus.
    — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 6 Dec. 2024
Definition of ignoramus
Noun
  • After the know-nothing county board opts to raze the baseball diamond to make way for a school, the teams meet for one final game at their beloved Soldier’s Field, with girlfriends, kids, and local hooligans as intermittent spectators.
    — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 7 Mar. 2025
  • Even as Republicans embrace him as an iconoclast, Democrats and other critics have lambasted Kennedy as a know-nothing without the scientific or bureaucratic experience to do the job effectively.
    — Vox Staff, Vox, 7 Feb. 2025
Definition of know-nothing

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Cite this Entry

“Illiterate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/illiterate. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.

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