lettered
Americanadjective
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educated or learned.
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of, relating to, or characterized by learning or literary culture.
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marked with or as if with letters.
adjective
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well educated in literature, the arts, etc
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literate
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of or characterized by learning or culture
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printed or marked with letters
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of lettered
Middle English word dating back to 1275–1325; see origin at letter 1, -ed 3
Explanation
Describing a friend as lettered is a compliment — you're remarking on her educational success and knowledge. People are especially lettered when they've read a lot of books. Though you'd never want to describe yourself as lettered — you'd sound like a show off — it's a great way to describe a scholarly friend. Lettered people are well-educated and well-read, and are often academics, either teaching or researching their areas of interest. The origin of lettered is littera, "letter of the alphabet" or "document," and its plural form, litteræ, which means "literature or books."
Vocabulary lists containing lettered
Latin Love, Vol III: littera
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Words to Describe a Teacher
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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.
By 1956, hospital births were becoming more common, and midwifery textbooks were recommending that a "wrist name-tape" or "string of lettered china beads" should be attached directly to the newborn.
From BBC • Jun. 7, 2025
He lettered from 1963-65 on Kentucky’s varsity under Charlie Bradshaw after playing on the freshman squad and was a consensus first team All-America as a senior.
From Washington Times • Oct. 30, 2023
She sat on the floor wide-eyed and curious as she reached for one of the plush lettered blocks Mariscal brought for her.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 20, 2023
He lettered three years as a punter and kicker in high school, and came to WSU as a preferred walk-on.
From Seattle Times • Aug. 17, 2023
They’d caught on right away, like they did with everything, and he showed off the flawless signs that the twins lettered in Spanish for the store.
From "Out of Darkness" by Ashley Hope Pérez
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.
