I. “+ adjective
Etymology: Latin illiteratus, from in- in- (I) + litteratus lettered, learned — more at literate
1. : having little or no education : unlettered , ignorant ; especially : unable to read or write
a largely illiterate population
2.
a. : showing or marked by a lack of familiarity with language and literature : deficient in literary background : uncultured
an illiterate speaker
an illiterate magazine
an illiterate style of writing
b. : violating generally accepted usage patterns of speaking or writing in such a way as to indicate ignorance or lack of culture
illiterate words and phrases
illiterate pronunciations
3. : showing or marked by a lack of acquaintance with the fundamentals or background of a particular field of knowledge
musically illiterate
politically illiterate
Synonyms: see ignorant
II. “+ noun
: an illiterate person ; especially : a person unable to read or write