literate

American  

[lit-er-it] / ˈlɪt ər ɪt /

adjective

1. able to read and write.

2. having or showing knowledge of literature, writing, etc.; literary; well-read.

3. characterized by skill, lucidity, polish, or the like.

   His writing is literate but cold and clinical.

   Synonyms:

   knowledgeable, well-informed

4. having knowledge or skill in a specified field.

   Is she computer literate? The boss needs a computer‑literate assistant.

5. having an education; educated.

   Synonyms:

   knowledgeable, well-informed

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noun

1. a person who can read and write.

2. a learned person.

literate British  

/ ˈlɪtərɪt /

adjective

1. able to read and write

2. educated; learned

3. used to words rather than numbers as a means of expression Compare numerate

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noun

1. a literate person

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

Seeing Gloria write her name for the first time, seeing Alfredo read his name for the first time, how incredible to have witnessed them becoming literate.

From Literature

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

Her superb collection of essays gathers up relics of the old world—the literate one—to demonstrate that such treasures are worth preserving.

From The Wall Street Journal

Now, women are universally literate and make up a majority of university students.

From The Wall Street Journal

“My overarching goal is to just be a good influence on younger people and have it built in a way where there’s educational content and help people become more financially literate.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• cultured
• educated
• knowledgeable