analphabetic

[ an-al-fuh-bet-ik, an-al- ]
/ ˌæn æl fəˈbɛt ɪk, ænˌæl- /

adjective

not alphabetic: an analphabetic arrangement of letters.
unable to read or write; illiterate: analphabetic peoples.
Phonetics. of or constituting a system of phonetic transcription, as the one devised by Otto Jespersen, that for each sound indicates by separate sets of symbols the articulator, the point of articulation, and the size and shape of the mouth opening.

noun

an illiterate person; analphabet.

QUIZZES

CHALLENGE YOURSELF WITH THESE WORDS FROM "LITTLE WOMEN"

"Little Women" may be a classic, but that doesn't mean we all know the meanings of the vocab words from the book. Can you define these words correctly and make Jo proud?
Question 1 of 10
earnest
full seriousness, as of intention or purpose.
a feeling of dread, anxiety, or anguish.
urgent character; imperativeness; insistence; importunateness.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of analphabetic

1660–70; < Greek analphábēt(os) not knowing the alphabet (an- an-1 + alphábēt(os) alphabet + -os adj. suffix) + -ic

Words nearby analphabetic

analogue recording, analogue-digital converter, analogy, analogy test, analphabet, analphabetic, analysand, analyse, analysis, analysis of variance, analysis situs
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

British Dictionary definitions for analphabetic

analphabetic
/ (ˌænælfəˈbɛtɪk, ænˌæl-) /

adjective

not in alphabetical order

noun, adjective

a less common word for illiterate

Derived forms of analphabetic

analphabetically, adverb

Word Origin for analphabetic

C20: from Greek analphabētos; see an-, alphabet
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012