Synonyms for unlettered
- adjective
Most common
All synonyms
Adjective
1. Illiterate — not instructed in letters; not educated, not well-read; unable to read
illiterate, ignorant, uneducated, unlearned, uncultured, uncultivated, barbarous, untaught, nescient, untutored, unschooled
Other
Definitions
- adj. 1
Not instructed in letters; not educated, not well-read; unable to read.
Choose the right word
Unlettered is similar in meaning to illiterate, but less absolute; the unlettered man may have acquired the art of reading and writing and some elementary knowledge; the uneducated man has never taken any systematic course of mental training.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- ignorant Not only you but also he is ignorant of the truth.
- illiterate The hosts on this channel are utterly illiterate.
- uneducated Tom is uneducated; he understands absolutely nothing.
- unlearned Education consists mainly in what we have unlearned.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| unlettered | steady | |
| ignorant | steady | |
| illiterate | steady | |
| uneducated | steady | |
| unlearned | steady | |
| analphabetic | steady |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 8 letters
- ignorant3, untaught, nescient
- 9 letters
- barbarous3, unlearned, untutored
- 10 letters
- illiterate4, uneducated5, uncultured, unschooled
- 12 letters
- uncultivated, analphabetic
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (ignorant3 = 3 syllables).