literacy
Americannoun
-
the ability to read and write
-
the ability to use language proficiently
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of literacy
First recorded in 1880–85; liter(ate) + -acy
Explanation
If you can read this sentence and write one of your own, you possess literacy. In Latin, littera means "letter." Back in the day, a person who could read and write was described as lettered. Literacy can also mean having knowledge or ability in a more specific area. Since you bought grandma that laptop, her computer literacy has really improved: she just posted her newest exercise video.
Vocabulary lists containing literacy
Power Suffix: -acy
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This Week in Words: September 8 - 14, 2018
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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.
Working alongside AI tools has made critical thinking even more important than AI literacy, according to Strada’s survey of employers.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026
Leo has emphasised the need for "digital literacy... to understand how algorithms shape our perception of reality."
From Barron's • May 25, 2026
Digital literacy hasn't kept pace, Gupta says, but adds that things are slowly changing due to public awareness campaigns and reporting in the media.
From BBC • May 18, 2026
As reading scores tumbled over the last decade, parents, scholars and literacy advocates pushed for teaching methods that align with decades of research about how kids learn to read — largely by sounding out words.
From Los Angeles Times • May 13, 2026
From the beginnings of literacy in China, it has had only a single writing system, whereas modern Europe uses dozens of modified alphabets.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
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.
