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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.

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

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

From Slate • Jan. 26, 2018

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 most memorably, he played Mongo, a hulking subliterate outlaw who delivers a knockout punch to a horse, in the Mel Brooks western spoof “Blazing Saddles.”

From New York Times • Oct. 10, 2012

Not that Goldthwait's material is totally subliterate raving.

From Time Magazine Archive

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