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

• depressed
• deprived
• disadvantaged

Examples of underprivileged in a Sentence

an organization that distributes free books to underprivileged children

Recent Examples on the Web

The pope also appealed to Catholics to get vaccinated, called on richer countries to share their vaccines with developing nations and offered the Vatican’s Pfizer shots to 1,800 homeless and underprivileged people in Rome. —Christopher Lamb, CNN Money, 21 Apr. 2025

The nonprofit provides underprivileged kids with a custom birthday cake free of charge. —Ingrid Vasquez, People.com, 8 Apr. 2025

These systems provide a decentralized approach to addressing the rising need for sustainable, dependable and affordable energy, particularly in remote and underprivileged regions. —Ilya Likhov, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025

Some students might decide to start an organization to spread strong dental hygiene habits to young kids or partner with local dentists to host a free dental clinic targeting uninsured or underprivileged demographics. 6. —Kristen Moon, Forbes, 25 Mar. 2025

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