underprivileged

adjective

un·​der·​priv·​i·​leged ˌən-dər-ˈpriv-lijd 

-ˈpri-və-

1

: deprived through social or economic condition of some of the fundamental rights of all members of a civilized society

2

: of or relating to underprivileged people

underprivileged areas of the city

Synonyms of underprivileged

• deprived
• disadvantaged
• impoverished
• poor
• depressed

Examples of underprivileged in a Sentence

an organization that distributes free books to underprivileged children

Recent Examples on the Web

To combat this, the MSG family of companies announced Wednesday an initiative through its partner, Garden of Dreams Foundation, to give away 250 free tickets for each of Games 3 and 4 to underprivileged youth throughout New York City. —Devon Henderson, New York Times, 27 May 2026

Escarment launched a foundation in Kyandre's honor that provides bicycles to underprivileged children. —Chelsea Jones, CBS News, 23 May 2026

Escarment launched a foundation that is in Kyandre’s honor and provides bicycles to underprivileged children. —Chelsea Jones, Miami Herald, 23 May 2026

Integrity Children's Fund is a nonprofit organization that aims to reduce illiteracy among Jamaican and immigrant children by providing educational resources to underprivileged schools, according to the organization's official website. —Edward Segarra, USA Today, 18 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1896, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing underprivileged

• the underprivileged

Rhymes for underprivileged

• privileged
• unprivileged

Kids Definition

underprivileged

adjective

un·​der·​priv·​i·​leged -ˈpriv-(ə-)lijd 

: having fewer privileges than others : poor