Word · Frequency #13846
illiterate
文盲
a person who cannot read or write
- 1.
An illiterate person, one either not able to read and write or not knowing how.
文盲；不会读写或不识字的人。
- 2.
a person unable to read
文盲；不识字的人
- 3.
A person ignorant about a given subject. (The relevant subject is usually named as a noun adjunct.)
对某一特定主题无知的人(相关主题通常以名词修饰语标出)。
（某领域的）无知者；门外汉；文盲；不会读写或不识字的人。；文盲；不识字的人；对某一特定主题无知的人(相关主题通常以名词修饰语标出)。
In use
The government launched a program to teach illiterates how to read and write.
Many illiterates in rural areas struggle to find well-paying jobs.
As an illiterate, he had to rely on others to read official documents for him.
an illiterate
可数名词，可用不定冠词修饰。
He is an illiterate.
他是个文盲。
illiterates
复数形式，表示多个文盲。
Many illiterates cannot find jobs.
许多文盲找不到工作。
the illiterate
集合名词，统指文盲群体。
The illiterate often face discrimination.
Connections
Collocations
- functional illiterate
- 功能性文盲
- Many functional illiterates struggle with official forms.许多功能性文盲难以填写官方表格。
- computer illiterate
- 电脑盲；对计算机无知的人
- She felt like a computer illiterate when her coworkers discussed programming.当同事们讨论编程时，她感觉自己是个电脑盲。
- political illiterate
- 政治盲；对政治无知的人
- He is a political illiterate; he doesn't even know who the prime minister is.他是个政治盲，连首相是谁都不知道。
Idioms & figurative uses
- computer illiterate
- 电脑盲；不熟悉电脑的人My father is a computer illiterate, so I showed him how to send an email.我父亲是个电脑盲，所以我教他如何发送电子邮件。
- functional illiterate
- 半文盲；读写能力不足以应付日常事务的人Many adults in the region are functional illiterates who cannot fill out basic forms.
Learner notes
Memory Tip
拆成 ill（不/坏）+ literate（识字的），不识字的人就是文盲；联想一个人不会读写，如同处于糟糕状态。
Context & Register
语域：formal 常见场景：education statistics、social surveys、historical writing 作名词时通常用于正式或书面语境，指“不识字的人”；日常口语中更常说 illiterate person 或 someone who cannot read or write，直接说 an illiterate 可能显得生硬或带贬义。
Grammar Note
可数名词
Pronunciation & Spelling
只有 literate 与 illiterate 押韵：重读元音 /ɪ/ 及之后的 /tərət/ 相同。注意形近词：ill、illicit、illogical 都以 ill 开头但发音不同；obliterate 带相同的拼写 -literate，但结尾读 /eɪt/；moderate 只在拼写上共享 -erate，并不押韵。
Usage priority
Collins 词频等级为 1，建议结合例句记忆，而不是只背中文释义。
Learn the forms together
页面下方列出了常见词形变化。学习时注意它们在句子中的语法位置。
Dictionary facts from ECDICT, WIKTIONARY, WORDNET.