uneducated
Americanadjective
adjective
Synonym Usage
See ignorant.
Etymology
Origin of uneducated
Explanation
Being uneducated means not having attended much school. Someone who's uneducated hasn't had a lot of formal teaching, but that doesn't mean they're not intelligent. Plenty of formally uneducated people go on to do great things and live happy lives. But if you're really curious about a subject, or you want to become a doctor, teacher, plumber, or veterinarian, you'll need to get educated by going to school or otherwise being taught. The word uneducated comes from the verb educate, "provide schooling," and its root, which means "bring out" or "lead forth."
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.
“As a nation we’re sorely uneducated when it comes to financial literacy,” said Daniel Milan, managing partner at Cornerstone Financial Services.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 7, 2026
These policies make practical sense—the alternative is more uneducated children and uninsured drivers—but they also tend to undermine respect for the law.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 20, 2026
My young and wildly financially uneducated ass took myself to Gucci.
From Slate ● Feb. 19, 2026
Many of the enlisted men were poor, uneducated and on the margins before the war and came back to the same circumstances.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2025
He viewed them as instruments for the uneducated, and purveyors of sinister influences and vulgar ideas.
From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende
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.
