underprivileged
Americanadjective
adjective
Etymology
Origin of underprivileged
First recorded in 1920–25; under- + privileged
Explanation
Someone underprivileged doesn't have the advantages other people have. Underprivileged people usually live in poverty. A privilege is a right or an advantage, and people who are underprivileged lack such rights and advantages. Many times, this word is used as a synonym for poor. People often worry about underprivileged children who are living in poverty and may not have access to healthy food or good medical care. Underprivileged children often go to the worst schools too, which is another disadvantage.
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.
Los Angeles County Library was planning to hold a series of activities in honor of a woman whose literacy drive brought books to millions of underprivileged children.
From Barron's ● Sep. 25, 2026
Security breaches and questionable procurement practices had plagued an initiative that was supposed to bridge the digital divide for underprivileged students.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026
Many institutions have adopted policies to aid minority and underprivileged students in an attempt to balance out legacies of discrimination in both higher education and American society.
From Slate ● Sep. 3, 2026
Selina Brown, a U.K. author whose book “My Rice Is Best” was selected by the Imagination Library this year, said that 14,000 copies had been distributed across the U.K. to children in underprivileged areas.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
My mother’s company offered bursaries, scholarships, for underprivileged families, and she managed to get me into Maryvale College, an expensive private Catholic school.
From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
