uneducated

American  

[uhn-ej-oo-kay-tid, -ed-yoo-] / ʌnˈɛdʒ ʊˌkeɪ tɪd, -ˈɛd jʊ- /

adjective

1. not educated.

   Synonyms:

   uncultivated, uninformed, unenlightened, uninstructed, untaught, unschooled, untutored

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uneducated British  

/ ʌnˈɛdjʊˌkeɪtɪd /

adjective

1. not having been educated to a good standard

   poor uneducated people

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Synonym Usage

See ignorant.

Etymology

Origin of uneducated

First recorded in 1580–90; un- ¹ + educated

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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

See Examples For:

uneducated

“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

Then, he proceeded to inform me that rather than be put off by this, I should be grateful for the new information so I could fix my error and not appear to be uneducated.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2026

"Don't make me feel uncomfortable because you are uneducated."

From BBC ● May 10, 2026

My young and wildly financially uneducated ass took myself to Gucci.

From Slate ● Feb. 19, 2026

It was safer to turn out an uneducated Ph.D. than to risk another explosion.

From "Double Helix" by James D. Watson

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Related Words

• ignorant
• illiterate
• unschooled

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