illiteracy

il·lit·er·a·cy | \ (ˌ)i(l)-ˈli-t(ə-)rə-sē

How to pronounce illiteracy (audio)

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plural illiteracies

Definition of illiteracy

1 : the quality or state of being illiterate especially : inability to read or write

2 : a mistake or crudity (as in speaking) typical of one who is illiterate

Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More about illiteracy

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Examples of illiteracy in a Sentence

the government's efforts to reduce illiteracy His letters contain many misspellings and illiteracies.

Recent Examples on the Web In Germany and the Scandinavian countries, reading is taught later, which the authors note hasn’t led to rampant illiteracy there. — Wendy Fawthrop, Los Angeles Times, "Review: Two pros aim to make reading fun for kids in ‘How to Raise a Reader’," 30 Aug. 2019 In an age already rife with misinformation and scientific illiteracy, that difference should be acknowledged by scientists and journalists alike and at every opportunity. — Scientific American, "Readers Respond to "Climate Heretic" and Other Articles," 1 Mar. 2011 The political battlefield For decades, America has been fighting metaphorical wars—wars on heart disease, drugs, smoking, cancer, poverty, advertising, and illiteracy. — Robert Myers, Quartz, "“Warspeak” has infiltrated everyday American English," 8 Aug. 2019 Her illiteracy was a source of shame for my father, who kept the secret from me for four decades. — Héctor Tobar, The New Yorker, "The Assassin Next Door," 22 July 2019 His parents did not want Randy stigmatized by an apparent but undiagnosed learning disability, but the result was that their son navigated through school hiding his illiteracy. — Howard Blume, latimes.com, "A.J. Duffy, a combative, colorful leader of L.A. teachers union, dies at 75," 11 July 2019 But its irony doesn’t resonate — certainly not for kids in the Black Lives Matter audience whose cultural illiteracy impairs their sense of history and selfhood. — Armond White, National Review, "Ma’s Black-Mammy Stereotypes Capture the Illiberal Spirit," 7 June 2019 By 1981, the illiteracy rate had dropped from over 50 percent to under 15 percent. — Jeffrey L. Gould, The New Republic, "Making Sense of Bernie’s Sandinista Sympathies," 6 June 2019 Poverty and widespread illiteracy limited the development of popular magazines. — William Meyers, WSJ, "‘NeoRealismo: The New Image in Italy, 1932-1960’ Review: A Lens on the Real Italy," 26 Sep. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'illiteracy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near illiteracy

Statistics for illiteracy

Last Updated

8 Oct 2019

Time Traveler for illiteracy

The first known use of illiteracy was in 1660

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More Definitions for illiteracy

illiteracy

noun

English Language Learners Definition of illiteracy

: the state of not knowing how to read or write

: the state of not having knowledge about a particular subject

: a mistake that is made in the use of language : an illiterate statement or expression

See the full definition for illiteracy in the English Language Learners Dictionary

illiteracy

il·lit·er·a·cy | \ i-ˈli-tə-rə-sē

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Kids Definition of illiteracy

: the state or condition of being unable to read or write

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concealed or difficult to comprehend

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