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.

---

literacy British  

/ ˈlɪtərəsɪ /

noun

1. the ability to read and write

2. the ability to use language proficiently

---

Other Word Forms

• antiliteracy adjective

Etymology

Origin of literacy

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

Example Sentences

Over the next decades, questions on language, literacy and occupation were refined, adding secondary work and dependency details.

From BBC

In the last year, Make Great Plays has conducted backpack and supply drives that outfitted more than 100 students and spent classroom time with students to increase computer literacy.

From Los Angeles Times

Phone-free school policies, which Haidt is also strongly advocating for, digital literacy programs, comprehensive and rigorous national privacy laws and active parental involvement all hold promise.

From The Wall Street Journal

Jane also says parents can teach their children digital literacy in a hands-on way.

From BBC

At the Glasgow event, Sarwar unveiled plans to recruit 2,000 specialist teachers to help children who have fallen behind in literacy and numeracy catch up, as well as an additional 1,500 classroom assistants.

From BBC

Related Words

• education
• knowledge
• learning
• proficiency