# uneducated

/əˈnɛdʒʊˌkeɪtɪd/ (US) · /ʌnˈɛdʒuːkˌeɪtɪd/ (UK) · CEFR B2 · Adjective

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/uneducated
Updated: 2026-05-07

## Definition

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.

For teachers: 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.

## Usage notes

- Typically used attributively before a noun or predicatively after a linking verb like 'be' or 'remain'.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.