underprivileged
Americanadjective
adjective
Etymology
Origin of underprivileged
First recorded in 1920–25; under- + privileged
Explanation
Someone underprivileged doesn't have the advantages other people have. Underprivileged people usually live in poverty. A privilege is a right or an advantage, and people who are underprivileged lack such rights and advantages. Many times, this word is used as a synonym for poor. People often worry about underprivileged children who are living in poverty and may not have access to healthy food or good medical care. Underprivileged children often go to the worst schools too, which is another disadvantage.
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.
Tennis coach Jovy Barce knows how hard it is to start playing tennis from scratch, especially for the underprivileged.
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
Hamid, 46, wants to start a nonprofit to help underprivileged Latinos.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2026
More than 400 underprivileged neighbourhoods and villages are visited each month, sites often overlooked by public health services.
From Barron's ● May 27, 2026
In 2022, court records show, he negotiated a plea deal for an NFL player facing prison time for weapons charges, ordering him to organize sports camps for underprivileged youth.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 29, 2026
For instance, Raoul’s much ado about nothing comes by way of his father, a failed Shakespearean actor who gave up the dream and started a theater camp for underprivileged children.
From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman
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.
