semiliterate
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Barely able to read and write; having limited literacy skills. This describes a person whose ability to read and write is rudimentary or below a functional standard.
- Literate but poorly informed or lacking in knowledge, especially in a specific area. This describes a person who can read and write but is not well-educated or is ignorant about particular subjects.
Examples of Usage
- Adjective:
- The government launched programs to help the semiliterate adult population.
- He was semiliterate, able to sign his name but unable to read a newspaper.
- Her semiliterate scrawl was difficult to decipher.
- He is semiliterate in scientific matters, despite having a university degree in literature.
Advanced Usage
- The term can be used to describe the quality of written work itself, not just a person.
- The pamphlet was poorly produced and full of semiliterate prose.
Variants and Related Words
- Semiliteracy (noun): The condition of being semiliterate.
- High rates of semiliteracy remain a challenge.
Synonyms
- Functionally illiterate
- Uneducated (in the second sense)
- Ignorant (in the second sense)
Antonyms
- Literate
- Educated
- Erudite
Related Phrases
- Semiliterate in [a subject]: Used to specify an area where someone lacks knowledge.
- Many people are financially semiliterate.
Adjective
- able to read but not to write
- barely able to read and write
- an semiliterate scrawl
- literate but poorly informed