literacy
Americannoun
-
the ability to read and write
-
the ability to use language proficiently
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of literacy
First recorded in 1880–85; liter(ate) + -acy
Explanation
If you can read this sentence and write one of your own, you possess literacy. In Latin, littera means "letter." Back in the day, a person who could read and write was described as lettered. Literacy can also mean having knowledge or ability in a more specific area. Since you bought grandma that laptop, her computer literacy has really improved: she just posted her newest exercise video.
Vocabulary lists containing literacy
Power Suffix: -acy
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This Week in Words: September 8 - 14, 2018
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The shop in the city's densely packed Mong Kok area was founded in 2022 by a group of former journalists, stocking literature on democracy, authoritarianism and media literacy.
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
This year’s test scores were the lowest yet — with a 5-percentage-point drop in financial literacy just since 2020.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 8, 2026
Other states are trying early literacy reforms, but not all have matched Tennessee’s results.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026
In ninth grade, we read “Slaughterhouse-Five,” “Of Mice and Men,” “The Thief and the Dogs” and “Romeo and Juliet,” with the film adaptations to use media literacy.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026
The literacy leaders, three men and one woman, decked out in their green uniforms and boots, arrive in a jeep and calmly hop down and come over to greet us.
From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
