functionally illiterate
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
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.
An Education Department study in 2024 found that 1 in 4 young adults are functionally illiterate, even though more than half received high-school diplomas.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 16, 2026
But Mr Randel said too many pupils in Wales ended up being "functionally illiterate" and many could not access other subjects properly because of poor reading skills.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2024
He is also functionally illiterate and does not have a high school diploma.
From Washington Post ● May 17, 2018
Under this loophole, functionally illiterate children can still promote to the fourth grade without learning to read.
From Washington Times ● May 8, 2018
About 70 percent of people with criminal records did not complete high school, and according to at least one study, about half are functionally illiterate.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
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.
