Word
uneducated
Phoneticsun·e·d·u·cat·ed
US/əˈnɛdʒʊˌkeɪtɪd/
UK/ʌnˈɛdʒuːkˌeɪtɪd/
Definition
adj. having little or no formal schooling or training. It describes someone who has not had the chance to learn much at a school or university.
adj. lacking formal schooling or a standard level of academic instruction. Often carries a negative or judgmental connotation depending on the context.
Examples
“He was a smart man even though he was uneducated.”
“The charity provides basic literacy classes for uneducated adults in rural areas who never finished primary school.”
“While the critic dismissed the audience as uneducated, their intuitive grasp of the play's emotional core suggested a profound wisdom that formal schooling often fails to provide.”
Examples
simple
“He was a smart man even though he was uneducated.”
contextual
“The charity provides basic literacy classes for uneducated adults in rural areas who never finished primary school.”
complex
“While the critic dismissed the audience as uneducated, their intuitive grasp of the play's emotional core suggested a profound wisdom that formal schooling often fails to provide.”
Usage
Typically used attributively before a noun or predicatively after a linking verb like 'be' or 'remain'.
Real-World Examples
“They want uneducated women so they can't raise wise men.” “People “assume that we’re lazy or that we’re uneducated or a lot of other things”, she says.” Etymology
From un- + educated.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
ADJECTIVE
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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englishreference.com/q/uneducated