literacy
gb/lˈɪtɚəsi/ us/lˈɪtɚəsi/
B1
English
~ 5500
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
entity
1
ability to read and write
The skill of reading and writing words and sentences.
Usage pattern:
[someone]'s literacy; basic literacy in [language]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'literacy' with 'literature'. 'Literacy' is the basic skill of reading and writing, while 'literature' refers to written works such as novels, poems, and plays. Another mistake is using 'illiteracy' when they mean 'literacy', which reverses the meaning.
Synonyms
reading and writing skills (More descriptive phrase; less compact and less formal than 'literacy'.)
Antonyms
illiteracy (Direct opposite, meaning the lack of ability to read and write.)
Collocations
basic literacy
|literacy skills
|adult literacy
|improve literacy
|literacy program
|literacy levels
Themes
education
|skills
|society
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The charity runs evening classes to improve adult literacy.
- Basic literacy is essential for finding a job and understanding official documents.
- Her strong literacy skills helped her succeed in every school subject.
- The government is investing in early childhood literacy programs.
- Children who enjoy books at home often develop better literacy at school.
Learner examples
- Many people in this village have low literacy.
- The school helps students with their literacy skills.
- Good literacy is important if you want a better job.
- The teacher works hard to build literacy in her class.
- My brother joined a course to improve his literacy.
Noun
B2
entity
2
knowledge and competence in a field
The knowledge and skills you need to understand and use information in a special area, like money, computers, or media.
Usage pattern:
literacy in [field]; [type] literacy
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think 'literacy' only means reading and writing. In modern English, it is also widely used for specific areas, like 'financial literacy' or 'digital literacy', meaning practical understanding in that area. Another mistake is saying 'knowledge about finance literacy'; instead, say 'financial literacy' directly.
Synonyms
competence (Broad term for being able to do something well; not limited to understanding information, and does not highlight the 'understanding and using information' aspect as clearly as 'literacy'.)
Antonyms
ignorance (Highlights a lack of knowledge in a field, which is the opposite of having literacy in that field.)
Collocations
financial literacy
|digital literacy
|computer literacy
|media literacy
|health literacy
|cultural literacy
Themes
education
|technology
|business
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Schools are adding courses to build students' financial literacy.
- Digital literacy is now essential for almost every office job.
- Media literacy helps people recognize false or misleading news online.
- The workshop aims to increase health literacy among older adults.
- Strong data literacy is becoming a key requirement in many industries.
Learner examples
- Financial literacy helps people make good money choices.
- Many jobs today need basic computer literacy.
- Teachers want students to have good media literacy.
- Digital literacy is important when you work online.
- The class will improve your health literacy.
Noun
B2
entity
3
population level of reading ability
How many people in a country or group can read and write.
Usage pattern:
literacy among [group]; literacy rate in [place]
Common mistake:
Learners may use this population sense when they are talking about one person. For an individual, say 'his literacy skills are weak' rather than 'his literacy is low', which sounds more statistical or general.
Synonyms
literacy rate (More explicitly statistical; often used when giving exact numbers or percentages.)
Antonyms
illiteracy rate (Focuses on the share of people who cannot read or write, the opposite side of population literacy.)
Collocations
literacy rate
|high literacy
|low literacy
|raise literacy
|national literacy
|literacy gap
Themes
education
|statistics
|development
|politics
Examples
- Over the past twenty years, the country's literacy has increased dramatically.
- There is a significant literacy gap between urban and rural areas.
- International organizations track literacy to measure social development.
- Female literacy has risen, but it still lags behind male literacy in some regions.
- Improving national literacy is a key goal of the new education policy.
Learner examples
- The government wants to raise literacy in rural areas.
- Literacy in this country is now very high.
- Low literacy can slow economic growth.
- They study literacy among young adults.
- The report shows changes in literacy over time.
Grammar
Dictionary form
literacy
IPA
GB/lˈɪtɚəsi/
US/lˈɪtɚəsi/
Syllables & stress
lit - er - acy (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (lit)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: literacy
- Plural: literacies, literacy
Word family
Forms
literacies
noun
Core family
literate
adjective
Related words
literature
noun B1
literary
adjective B2
Negative and opposite forms
illiteracy
noun
illiterate
adjective
Expressions
adult literacy
1/ədˈʌlt lˈɪtɚəsi/
fixed phrase
reading and writing skills of adults
How well adults can read and write, and programs that help them learn these skills.
Examples
- The city runs several evening classes to improve adult literacy.
- Adult literacy programs can change whole communities.
- Improving adult literacy is a key part of the national education plan.
basic literacy
1/bˈeɪsɪk lˈɪtɚəsi/
fixed phrase
simple reading and writing ability
The most simple level of reading and writing, enough for everyday life.
Examples
- The charity focuses on teaching basic literacy to adults.
- Basic literacy is still out of reach for many people worldwide.
- The course covers basic literacy before moving on to job skills.
basic literacy and numeracy
1/bˈeɪsɪk lˈɪtɚəsi ˈænd nˈumɚəsi/
fixed phrase
simple reading, writing, and math skills
The simple skills of reading, writing, and doing easy math problems.
Examples
- All children should leave primary school with basic literacy and numeracy.
- The project focuses on basic literacy and numeracy for rural communities.
- Employers expect workers to have at least basic literacy and numeracy.
computer literacy
1/kəmpjˈutɚ lˈɪtɚəsi/
fixed phrase
basic ability to use computers
Knowing how to work with a computer, for example using email, web browsers, and simple programs.
Examples
- Most office jobs today require some computer literacy.
- The community center offers classes to improve computer literacy.
- Her strong computer literacy made it easy for her to learn new software.
cultural literacy
1/kˈʌlt͡ʃɚəl lˈɪtɚəsi/
fixed phrase
knowledge of a culture's shared ideas
Knowing important stories, history, symbols, and habits of a culture so you can understand people in that culture.
Examples
- Living abroad for a year greatly improved her cultural literacy.
- Teachers argue that cultural literacy is as important as basic skills.
- The book explores what cultural literacy means in a globalized world.
digital literacy
1/dˈɪd͡ʒɪtəl lˈɪtɚəsi/
fixed phrase
ability to use digital technology
Knowing how to use computers, phones, and the internet in a useful and safe way.
Examples
- Digital literacy is now as important as traditional reading and writing.
- The training program focuses on basic digital literacy for older adults.
- Schools are working to close the digital literacy gap between students.
financial literacy
1/fɪnˈænʃəl lˈɪtɚəsi/
fixed phrase
ability to understand and manage money
Understanding money, prices, credit, and basic financial products so you can make good money decisions.
Examples
- The course is designed to improve financial literacy among college students.
- Good financial literacy can help you avoid debt and save for the future.
- Many governments promote financial literacy to protect consumers from scams.
health literacy
1/hˈɛlθ lˈɪtɚəsi/
fixed phrase
technical
ability to understand health information
Knowing how to read and understand health information so you can make good choices about your health.
Examples
- Low health literacy can lead to worse medical outcomes.
- Doctors are encouraged to use simple language to improve patients' health literacy.
- The campaign focuses on improving health literacy in disadvantaged communities.
information literacy
1/ˌɪnfɔɹmˈeɪʃən lˈɪtɚəsi/
fixed phrase
technical
skill in handling information
The skill of looking for information, checking if it is good and true, and using it correctly.
Examples
- University librarians teach workshops on information literacy.
- Strong information literacy helps students avoid unreliable sources.
- The report stresses the importance of information literacy in higher education.
literacy rate
1/lˈɪtɚəsi ɹˈeɪt/
fixed phrase
percentage of people who can read
The number, usually a percent, that shows how many people in a country or group can read and write.
Examples
- The literacy rate has risen from 60% to 85% in two decades.
- Countries with higher literacy rates tend to have stronger economies.
- The report compares literacy rates across different regions.
literacy skills
1/lˈɪtɚəsi skˈɪlz/
fixed phrase
a person's reading and writing skills
A person's ability to read and write well.
Examples
- The program is designed to build early literacy skills in children.
- Strong literacy skills are needed for success in most school subjects.
- Her literacy skills improved quickly after just a few months of tutoring.
media literacy
1/mˈidiə lˈɪtɚəsi/
fixed phrase
skill in understanding media messages
The skill of looking at news, ads, and social media and knowing what is true, what is opinion, and what is trying to persuade you.
Examples
- Media literacy helps people recognize fake news and misleading headlines.
- The school added a media literacy unit to its curriculum.
- Strong media literacy is essential in the age of social networks.