literacy

American  

[lit-er-uh-see] / ˈlɪt ər ə si /

noun

1. the quality or state of being literate, especially the ability to read and write.

2. possession of education.

   to question someone's literacy.

   Synonyms:

   culture, learning

3. a person's knowledge of a particular subject or field.

   to acquire computer literacy;

   improving your financial literacy.

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literacy British  

/ ˈlɪtərəsɪ /

noun

1. the ability to read and write

2. the ability to use language proficiently

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Other Word Forms

• antiliteracy adjective

Etymology

Origin of literacy

First recorded in 1880–85; liter(ate) + -acy

Example Sentences

The Welsh government said its educational resources body, Adnodd, was now responsible for early years literacy programmes and Adnodd said it was working to ensure there is no gap in provision of materials to families.

From BBC

By the yardstick of its own goals, the nation’s second-largest school system is likely to fall short by nearly every parameter — taking in sample measures of literacy, math and social emotional learning.

From Los Angeles Times

“When I was younger, I didn’t have anyone to help teach me financial literacy and help educate me how to invest, or even what a credit score is,” Donaldson says.

From The Wall Street Journal

But the simplest fixes are often the best, says Matthew Facciani, a researcher at the Georgetown-Lancet Commission on Faith, Trust and Health at Georgetown University who studies misinformation and media literacy.

From The Wall Street Journal

On one hand, AI videos that are almost indistinguishable from reality pose a real problem, Ms Lingel said, especially for young kids who don't yet have media literacy.

From BBC

Related Words

• education
• knowledge
• learning
• proficiency