literate
Americanadjective
-
able to read and write.
-
having or showing knowledge of literature, writing, etc.; literary; well-read.
-
characterized by skill, lucidity, polish, or the like.
His writing is literate but cold and clinical.
- Synonyms:
- knowledgeable, well-informed
-
having knowledge or skill in a specified field.
Is she computer literate? The boss needs a computer‑literate assistant.
-
having an education; educated.
- Synonyms:
- knowledgeable, well-informed
noun
-
a person who can read and write.
-
a learned person.
adjective
-
able to read and write
-
educated; learned
-
used to words rather than numbers as a means of expression Compare numerate
noun
Other Word Forms
- antiliterate adjective
- antiliterately adverb
- literately adverb
- unliterate adjective
Etymology
Origin of literate
1400–50; late Middle English < Latin līterātus, litterātus learned, scholarly. See letter 1, -ate 1
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.
But he also recognises security and privacy issues and the dangers that those "who are not digitally literate can easily be scammed".
From BBC • Mar. 3, 2026
Mr. Greenberg, who won a Tony for “Take Me Out,” was among the smartest and most literate playwrights of his generation, certainly wise enough to understand the sturdy strength of Barry’s structure and plotting.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 19, 2026
They want to graduate functionally literate young people, not hand kids a diploma that says they showed up for class for 12 years.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 26, 2026
They also reported practices restricting online bookings to mornings and said that less digitally literate people find the system hard to navigate.
From BBC • Dec. 3, 2025
In front of one of the benevolent associations, a literate man was chanting the Gold Mountain News, which was taped to the window.
From "The Woman Warrior" by Maxine Hong Kingston
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.
