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.
Many of his lyrics lament the conditions of the downtrodden and underprivileged, pointing out the injustices in the way man treats his fellow man.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
If Infantino somehow pushes through his scheme to sell shares in the World Cup, he will do so — believe it or not — by casting himself as a defender of the downtrodden and underprivileged.
From Salon ● Aug. 2, 2026
Musician and broadcaster Guvna B, who got his start in a local church, says the scheme could be crucial for musicians from underprivileged backgrounds.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 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
This is doable, of course—minority and underprivileged students rise to the challenge all the time—but it takes energy.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
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.
