[il.lit.er.ate] adj [ME, fr. L illiteratus, fr. in- + litteratus literate] (15c) 1: having little or no education; esp: unable to read or write
2. a: showing or marked by a lack of familiarity with language and literature b: violating approved patterns of speaking or writing
3: showing or marked by a lack of acquaintance with the fundamentals of a particular field of knowledge syn see ignorant -- illiterate n -- il.lit.er.ate.ly adv -- il.lit.er.ate.ness n