Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- adjective Having achieved an elementary level of ability in reading and writing.
- adjective Having limited knowledge or understanding, especially of a technical subject.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adjective Not entirely
literate ; having a limited grasp of the written language
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- adjective able to read but not to write
- adjective barely able to read and write
- adjective literate but poorly informed
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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Just because one can forgive the infrequent use of such a construction by children or the semiliterate does make it “correct.”
The Volokh Conspiracy » Originalism and Linguistic Questions 2010
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Lawrence: Just because one can forgive the infrequent use of such a construction by children or the semiliterate does make it “correct.”
The Volokh Conspiracy » Originalism and Linguistic Questions 2010
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It should be accessible to the child, to the woman, to the man, to the old person, to the semiliterate, to the presidents of universities, to everyone.
The New York Public Library: Interview: How Libraries Changed Maya Angelou's Life The New York Public Library 2010
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Ms. Suchaski said the Hatchechubbee Post Office is a place where locals trade news about births and deaths and the occasional loose cow, and where service extends beyond the mail, to helping some semiliterate customers pay bills.
Post-Office Closure List Sent Jennifer Levitz 2011
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As long as the computers are semiliterate, the clerks will have jobs.
Poor Penmanship Spells Job Security for Post Office's Scribble Specialists Barry Newman 2011
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In an interview with the Guardian last year, he described them as a bunch of greedy, uncultured, semiliterate oiks.
Alexander Lebedev: profile Mark Tran 2010
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It should be accessible to the child, to the woman, to the man, to the old person, to the semiliterate, to the presidents of universities, to everyone.
The New York Public Library: Interview: How Libraries Changed Maya Angelou's Life The New York Public Library 2010
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Pity the poor textbook writer, charged not only with describing American history to semiliterate students our public schools rank 49th in the nation but also with locating transgendered Americans who made their marks upon it.
History Class Can't Stop Bullies Caitlin Flanagan 2011
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She would never get mixed up with a semiliterate man who made his living with his fists.
Come Again No More Jack Todd 2010
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She would never get mixed up with a semiliterate man who made his living with his fists.
Come Again No More Jack Todd 2010
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