literate

1 of 2

adjective

lit·​er·​ate ˈli-tə-rət 

 also  ˈli-trət

1

a

: educated, cultured

literate executives

b

: able to read and write

What percentage of the population is literate?

2

a

: versed in literature or creative writing : literary

literate novelists

b

: lucid, polished

a literate essay

c

: having knowledge or competence (see competent sense 2)

computer-literate

politically literate

literately adverb

literateness noun

literate

2 of 2

noun

1

: an educated person

2

: a person who can read and write

Synonyms

Adjective

• educated
• erudite
• knowledgeable
• learned
• lettered
• scholarly
• well-read

Examples of literate in a Sentence

Adjective

She is literate in both English and Spanish.

What percentage of the population is literate?

The job requires you to be computer literate.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Studies have shown that less than 30 percent of the U.S. public is scientifically literate. —Marshall Shepherd, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2025

The bottom line: Football and books — the recipe for a more learned and literate America. —Isaac Avilucea, Axios, 13 Jan. 2025

Noun

The image that emerged is of a rare private-sector voice literate in both climate science and financial markets—and one willing to make the business case for climate to any audience. —Justin Worland, TIME, 25 Feb. 2025

Senior managers need to lead the effort to become climate literate and to then enable all of their employees, especially aspiring and rising managers, to do the same. —Lynn Schenk alison Smart, Harvard Business Review, 4 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective and Noun

Middle English literat, from Latin litteratus marked with letters, literate, from litterae letters, literature, from plural of littera

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

circa 1540, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for literate

• illiterate

Kids Definition

literate

1 of 2 adjective

lit·​er·​ate ˈlit-ə-rət 

ˈli-trət

1

: educated sense 1, cultured

2

: able to read and write

3

: having knowledge or experience in a particular area

computer literate

literately adverb

literateness noun

literate

2 of 2 noun

1

: an educated person

2

: a person who can read and write