as in ignorance
the state of being unlearned
far too many children are doomed to a lifetime of illiteracy in that country
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of illiteracy
In the immediate aftermath of conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s murder, one of the most vexing things occluding the facts of what happened was a general illiteracy regarding the online culture that had engulfed the alleged killer — its memes and codes and ideologies.
—
Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2025
Intersectionality proposes that societal problems such as crime and illiteracy correct themselves if opportunities and environments are evened out via public policy.
—John Scott Lewinski, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2025
But digital illiteracy still constrains African banks’ ability to serve their customers, according to nearly 8 in 10 respondents, made up of 203 senior banking executives from 40 African countries.
—Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 11 Aug. 2025
Well aware of the magnitude of its goal — to eliminate illiteracy globally by 2040 — WLF relies on its youth ambassadors to get the job done, taking them through an intensive, three-month training program.
—Isabel Rivera, Miami Herald, 9 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for illiteracy
Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2025
Intersectionality proposes that societal problems such as crime and illiteracy correct themselves if opportunities and environments are evened out via public policy.
—John Scott Lewinski, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2025
But digital illiteracy still constrains African banks’ ability to serve their customers, according to nearly 8 in 10 respondents, made up of 203 senior banking executives from 40 African countries.
—Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 11 Aug. 2025
Well aware of the magnitude of its goal — to eliminate illiteracy globally by 2040 — WLF relies on its youth ambassadors to get the job done, taking them through an intensive, three-month training program.
—Isabel Rivera, Miami Herald, 9 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for illiteracy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for illiteracy
ignorance
Noun
-
And both reckon with the extent to which historical ignorance and the calculated distortion of the past threaten the foundation on which our country was built.—
Francine Prose,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
-
That denial of reality — rooted in ignorance and contempt for science — is now official policy, as evidenced by the EPA’s rescinding of its landmark finding that greenhouse gases harm public health.—
James Speyer,
New York Daily News,
4 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Illiteracy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/illiteracy. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
