literacy

English

Etymology

From literate + -cy.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈlɪtəɹəsi/, /ˈlɪtɹəsi/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈlɪtəɹəsi/, , /ˈlɪtɹəsi/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Hyphenation: li‧ter‧a‧cy

Noun

literacy (countable and uncountable, plural literacies)

1. The ability to read and write.
2. (by extension) The ability to understand and evaluate something.

   computer literacy

   media literacy

   • 2023 June 9, Tory Shepherd, “Can pornography be healthy? If it follows six rules, perhaps”, in The Guardian‎, →ISSN:

     Prof Alan McKee, who led the project, argues that young adults should be taught “porn literacy” to help them “read porn well” and look for healthy and ethical depictions of sex.

Antonyms

• illiteracy

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Further reading

• “literacy”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “literacy”, in The Century Dictionary , New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.