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

Spending $6 million to develop soccer programs in underprivileged communities. —Marcia Kramer, CBS News, 21 Jan. 2026

The gap starts early, said Saki Milton, founder and executive director of The GEMS Camp, which focuses on increasing access to STEM careers for underprivileged girls in the Dallas area. —Alison Saldanha, Dallas Morning News, 20 Jan. 2026

The organization hosts more than 20 different programs and partners with 90 facilities to provide support and resources for underprivileged youth. —Richard Johnson, New York Daily News, 11 Jan. 2026

On the other end of the spectrum are our urban and rural districts which have a substantially lower tax base and a larger number of underprivileged and non-native English Language speakers. —Michael Maguire, Boston Herald, 4 Jan. 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