UNLEARNED Synonyms: 98 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'unlearned' distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of unlearned are ignorant , illiterate , unlettered , and untutored . While all these words mean "not having knowledge," unlearned suggests ignorance of advanced subjects. // poetry not for academics but for the unlearned masses

Q: When is it sensible to use 'ignorant' instead of 'unlearned'?

The synonyms ignorant and unlearned are sometimes interchangeable, but ignorant may imply a general condition or it may apply to lack of knowledge or awareness of a particular thing. // an ignorant fool // ignorant of nuclear physics

Q: When would 'illiterate' be a good substitute for 'unlearned'?

Although the words illiterate and unlearned have much in common, illiterate applies to either an absolute or a relative inability to read and write. // much of the population is still illiterate

Q: When could 'unlettered' be used to replace 'unlearned'?

While the synonyms unlettered and unlearned are close in meaning, unlettered implies ignorance of the knowledge gained by reading. // an allusion meaningless to the unlettered

Q: When can 'untutored' be used instead of 'unlearned'?

The words untutored and unlearned can be used in similar contexts, but untutored may imply lack of schooling in the arts and ways of civilization. // strange monuments built by an untutored people

unlearned 1 of 2

adjective

ˌən-ˈlər-nəd

Definition of unlearned next

as in ignorant

lacking in education or the knowledge gained from books although the people of the farming community were largely an unlearned lot, they wanted an advanced education for their children

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

unlearned

2 of 2

verb

past tense of unlearn

as in forgot

to be unable to recall or think of let's hope that over the summer I don't unlearn everything I learned over the course of this past year

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word unlearned distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of unlearned are ignorant, illiterate, unlettered, and untutored. While all these words mean "not having knowledge," unlearned suggests ignorance of advanced subjects.

poetry not for academics but for the unlearned masses

When is it sensible to use ignorant instead of unlearned?

The synonyms ignorant and unlearned are sometimes interchangeable, but ignorant may imply a general condition or it may apply to lack of knowledge or awareness of a particular thing.

an ignorant fool

ignorant of nuclear physics

When would illiterate be a good substitute for unlearned?

Although the words illiterate and unlearned have much in common, illiterate applies to either an absolute or a relative inability to read and write.

much of the population is still illiterate

When could unlettered be used to replace unlearned?

While the synonyms unlettered and unlearned are close in meaning, unlettered implies ignorance of the knowledge gained by reading.

an allusion meaningless to the unlettered

When can untutored be used instead of unlearned?

The words untutored and unlearned can be used in similar contexts, but untutored may imply lack of schooling in the arts and ways of civilization.

strange monuments built by an untutored people

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 unlearned

Adjective

Those afflicted with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often behave in a manner which the unlearned (or uncaring) will immediately label as criminal. —

Killian Baarlaer, The Courier-Journal, 6 Sep. 2024 Although the 1973 commission’s report ran to 2,200 pages, some big lessons from 1973 may have gone unlearned—lessons that Israel needed to understand then and still does now. —

Uri Kaufman, Foreign Affairs, 20 Oct. 2023 Although the 1973 commission’s report ran to 2,200 pages, some big lessons from 1973 may have gone unlearned—lessons that Israel needed to understand then and still do now. —

Uri Kaufman, Foreign Affairs, 20 Oct. 2023 Observers are left similarly unlearned about how the case might be decided. —

Matt Ford, The New Republic, 23 Mar. 2023 Still, there are lessons that remain unlearned. —

W. James Antle Iii, The Week, 24 Feb. 2022 The racial disparities have left public health experts and activists frustrated that lessons from the Covid-19 response remain unlearned. —

Liam Stack, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2022 Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter ahead of Cannes, Loznitsa explained why the unlearned lessons of the past always come back to haunt us. —

Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 May 2022 And, today, the Biden Administration is learning that lessons from the 2014 Red Hill fuel leak went unlearned. —

Craig Hooper, Forbes, 7 Dec. 2021

Recent Examples of Synonyms for unlearned

Adjective

Steph Curry was ignorant of the NBA history at stake.

— Marcus Thompson II, The Athletic, 3 Jan. 2025
Russia, Iran, and many other countries criticize U.S. military interventions as arrogant, ignorant of local context, and unable to fashion either stable regimes or effective security structures.

— Alexander Baunov, Foreign Affairs, 26 Dec. 2024