illiteracy, analphabetism
(noun) an inability to read
illiteracy
(noun) ignorance resulting from not reading
Source: WordNet® 3.1
illiteracy (countable and uncountable, plural illiteracies)
(uncountable) The inability to read and write.
(uncountable) The portion of a population unable to read and write, generally given as a percentage.
(countable) A word, phrase, or grammatical turn thought to be characteristic of an illiterate person.
(uncountable, by extension) Unlearnedness; the state of being ignorant or unlettered.
• analphabetism
• literacy
Source: Wiktionary
Il*lit"er*a*cy, n.; pl. Illiteracies. Etym: [From Illiterate.]
1. The state of being illiterate, or uneducated; want of learning, or knowledge; ignorance; specifically, inability to read and write; as, the illiteracy shown by the last census.
2. An instance of ignorance; a literary blunder. The many blunders and illiteracies of the first publishers of his [Shakespeare's] works. Pope.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
23 November 2024
(adjective) concerned primarily with theories or hypotheses rather than practical considerations; “theoretical science”
The Boston Tea Party helped popularize coffee in America. The hefty tea tax imposed on the colonies in 1773 resulted in America switching from tea to coffee. In the lead up to the Revolutionary War, it became patriotic to sip java instead of tea. The Civil War made the drink more pervasive. Coffee helped energize tired troops, and drinking it became an expression of freedom.
