illiteracy

[ ih-lit-er-uh-see ]

/ ɪˈlɪt ər ə si /

a lack of ability to read and write.

the state of being illiterate; lack of any or enough education.

a mistake in writing or speaking, felt to be characteristic of an illiterate or semiliterate person: a letter that was full of illiteracies.

Origin of illiteracy

First recorded in 1650–60; illiter(ate) + -acy

sem·i-il·lit·er·a·cy, noun

They suffer sky-high maternal mortality rates, illiteracy, and a daily struggle against violence and poverty.

The Sad Hidden Plight of Child Grooms |Nina Strochlic |September 18, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
It is all a result of segregated communities where illiteracy is rife and the men think they can get away with anything.

The Psychology of Sex Slave Rings |Charlotte Lytton |August 31, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Illiteracy, a problem for Egypt long before the 2011 revolution, is currently estimated at 30 percent nationwide.

Egypt’s Schools Deteriorate and Many Seek Education Abroad |Vivian Salama |December 16, 2012 |DAILY BEAST
Why, for example, are poverty and corruption, poor health and illiteracy, so stubbornly endemic?

The Absurd Case Against Sonia Gandhi |Dilip D’Souza |October 5, 2012 |DAILY BEAST

It is not poverty, illiteracy, or the lack of democratic institutions.

We Should Have Seen These Protests Coming |Andrew C. McCarthy |September 17, 2012 |DAILY BEAST
Is illiteracy so much more dangerous to society than destitution?

Paris and the Social Revolution |Alvan Francis Sanborn
Illiteracy was common enough and might be overlooked, but a mixed marriage was unthinkable.

My Lady of the Chimney Corner |Alexander Irvine
Illiteracy and slow mentality lower the general level of intelligence.

Society |Henry Kalloch Rowe
This civilization of illiteracy is one of many literacies, each with its own characteristics and rules of functioning.

The Civilization of Illiteracy |Mihai Nadin
Put down in each State the illiteracy, and make the comparison.

American Missionary, Volume 43, No. 2, February, 1889 |Various