functional illiterate

American  

noun

1. a person with some basic education who still falls short of a minimum standard of literacy or whose reading and writing skills are inadequate to everyday needs.

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functional illiterate British  

noun

1. a person whose literacy is insufficient for most work and normal daily situations

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Other Word Forms

• functional illiteracy noun
• functionally illiterate adjective

Etymology

Origin of functional illiterate

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

Bonjean described Kelly as a flawed genius who has been functional illiterate since childhood and was ill-equipped to navigate his celebrity and expanding wealth.

From Seattle Times

When the judge sentenced him for voluntary manslaughter, he called Jackson a “functional illiterate” and used the case to verbally lambaste the image of college sports performers as “student” athletes.

From Los Angeles Times