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.
Los Angeles County Library was planning to hold a series of activities in honor of a woman whose literacy drive brought books to millions of underprivileged children.
From Barron's ● Sep. 25, 2026
It lets institutions continue to support underprivileged students as long as those efforts use “race-neutral criteria such as family income, geographic location, first-generation status, individual hardship, military family status, or academic achievement.”
From Slate ● Sep. 3, 2026
He has fond memories of working to provide “internships for underprivileged kids in the hospitality business” and other charitable projects.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
Paralympic swimmer Jamal Hill founded Swim Up Hill with a goal to teach underprivileged children how to swim.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 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.
