uneducated
Americanadjective
adjective
Synonym Usage
See ignorant.
Etymology
Origin of uneducated
Explanation
Being uneducated means not having attended much school. Someone who's uneducated hasn't had a lot of formal teaching, but that doesn't mean they're not intelligent. Plenty of formally uneducated people go on to do great things and live happy lives. But if you're really curious about a subject, or you want to become a doctor, teacher, plumber, or veterinarian, you'll need to get educated by going to school or otherwise being taught. The word uneducated comes from the verb educate, "provide schooling," and its root, which means "bring out" or "lead forth."
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.
"Don't make me feel uncomfortable because you are uneducated."
From BBC • May 10, 2026
“Any insinuation from any party opining that filing decisions are made—or, in this case, not made—in an effort to influence crime data is unaware, uneducated, or uninformed about how our office operates,” Chapman said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 16, 2025
The plight of Yemen's schools, as well as reflecting the country's humanitarian crisis, also signals difficulties for future development, hampered by an uneducated population.
From Barron's • Nov. 13, 2025
It was really sad for me, because this person who obviously doesn’t know any law, on this subject anyway, is completely uneducated on this particular, very important question.
From Slate • Jun. 19, 2025
She asked him what he would think if editorials supported suffrage for uneducated immigrants while he was asked to wait patiently.
From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling
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.
