illiteracy
noun
il·lit·er·a·cy
(ˌ)i(l)-ˈli-t(ə-)rə-sē 
plural illiteracies
1
: the quality or state of being illiterate
especially
: inability to read or write
2
: a mistake or crudity (as in speaking) typical of one who is illiterate
Examples of illiteracy in a Sentence
the government's efforts to reduce illiteracy
His letters contain many misspellings and illiteracies.
Recent Examples on the Web
Emotional illiteracy, disconnection from the body and organizational cultures that discourage vulnerability reinforce this divide.
—
Nancy Zamierowski, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025
Election Code also states that a witness, or someone who signs an application for a voter who is unable to sign it due to a physical disability or illiteracy, is limited to helping one voter in the same election or one voter in a calendar year who applies for annual ballots.
—Lina Ruiz, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Apr. 2025
The free event for National Financial Literacy Month is sponsored by the nonprofit Society for Financial Awareness, which aims to end financial illiteracy across the country.
—Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Apr. 2025
Functional illiteracy rates, for example, have not changed much since 1979 and remain as high as 20% by some measures.
—Veronique De Rugy, Boston Herald, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for illiteracy
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Nancy Zamierowski, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025
Election Code also states that a witness, or someone who signs an application for a voter who is unable to sign it due to a physical disability or illiteracy, is limited to helping one voter in the same election or one voter in a calendar year who applies for annual ballots.
—Lina Ruiz, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Apr. 2025
The free event for National Financial Literacy Month is sponsored by the nonprofit Society for Financial Awareness, which aims to end financial illiteracy across the country.
—Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Apr. 2025
Functional illiteracy rates, for example, have not changed much since 1979 and remain as high as 20% by some measures.
—Veronique De Rugy, Boston Herald, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for illiteracy
Cite this Entry
“Illiteracy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/illiteracy. Accessed 7 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
illiteracy
noun
il·lit·er·a·cy
(ˈ)il-ˈ(l)it-ə-rə-sē
-ˈ(l)i-trə-sē
plural illiteracies
1
: the quality or state of being illiterate
especially
: inability to read or write
2
: a mistake made by or typical of an illiterate person
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