¹literate

adjective lit·er·ate \ˈli-tə-rət also ˈli-trət\

: able to read and write

: having or showing knowledge about a particular subject

Full Definition of LITERATE

a : educated, cultured

b : able to read and write

a : versed in literature or creative writing : literary

b : lucid, polished <a literate essay>

c : having knowledge or competence <computer-literate> <politically literate>

— lit·er·ate·ly adverb

— lit·er·ate·ness noun

See literate defined for English-language learners

See literate defined for kids

Origin of LITERATE

Middle English literat, from Latin litteratus marked with letters, literate, from litterae letters, literature, from plural of littera

First Known Use: 15th century

Related to LITERATE

Synonyms: erudite, knowledgeable, learned, lettered, educated, scholarly, well-read

Antonyms: benighted, dark, ignorant, illiterate, uneducated, unlearned, unlettered, unscholarly

Other Literature Terms

apophasis, bathos, bildungsroman, bowdlerize, caesura, coda, doggerel, euphemism, poesy, prosody

²literate

noun

Definition of LITERATE

: an educated person

: a person who can read and write

First Known Use of LITERATE

circa 1550

Other Education Terms

baccalaureate, colloquium, corequisite, dissertation, monograph, pedant, practicum, survey course, thesis

LITERATE Defined for Kids

literate

adjective lit·er·ate \ˈli-tə-rət\

Definition of LITERATE for Kids

: able to read and write

: having gotten a good education

Learn More About LITERATE

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for "literate"

Spanish Central: Spanish translation of "literate"

Nglish: Translation of "literate" for Spanish speakers

Britannica English: Translation of "literate" for Arabic speakers

Browse

Next Word in the Dictionary: literatiPrevious Word in the Dictionary: literary propertyAll Words Near: literate

Seen & Heard

What made you want to look up literate? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

View Seen & Heard Highlights from Around the Site

1literate