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subliterate

American  
[suhb-lit-er-it] / sʌbˈlɪt ər ɪt /

adjective

  1. less than fully literate.


Etymology

Origin of subliterate

First recorded in 1945–50; sub- + literate


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.

See Examples For:

Back in the benighted 20th century comic books were seen as subliterate trash for kiddies and intellectually challenged adults – badly written, hastily drawn and execrably printed.

From The Guardian ● Aug. 17, 2019

To test that the words he was reading are above the subliterate level, I ran a few of his remarks through the Flesh–Kincaid calculator.

From Slate ● Jan. 26, 2018

Perhaps the emotional quotient was juvenile, but the reading level was above subliterate.

From Slate ● Jan. 26, 2018

Most are blah; a few are so subliterate they made my temples ache.

From New York Times ● Mar. 6, 2012

Not that Goldthwait's material is totally subliterate raving.

From Time Magazine Archive

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