having or showing knowledge of literature, writing, etc.; literary; well-read.
3.
characterized by skill, lucidity, polish, or the like:
His writing is literate but cold and clinical.
4.
having knowledge or skill in a specified field:
Is she computer literate? The boss needs a computer‐literate assistant.
5.
having an education; educated.
noun
6.
a person who can read and write.
7.
a learned person.
Origin
1400-50;late Middle English < Latinlīterātus,litterātus learned, scholarly. See letter, -ate1
Related forms
literately, adverb
antiliterate, adjective, noun
antiliterately, adverb
unliterate, adjective
Synonyms
3, 5. well-informed, knowledgeable.
Examples from the web for literate
But few people write programs, so hardly anybody is literally computer literate.
Most people do not read original papers they rely on scientifically literate journalists to state the significant results.
In those days, literate families and friends read aloud to each other as a matter of habit.
We would not regard our children to be literate if they could read and not write.
It is a read for for people who are laymen but are scientifically literate.
If elected, his press for a more integrated and literate workforce will benefit us all.
Most of these former students were not financially literate.
The message for the literate audience at home is almost the opposite.
And yet our otherwise literate society continues to mistake molecular name-dropping for real understanding.
Not everyone who quits school is illiterate, nor is everyone who attends even close to literate.
British Dictionary definitions for literate
literate
/ˈlɪtərɪt/
adjective
1.
able to read and write
2.
educated; learned
3.
used to words rather than numbers as a means of expression Compare numerate
noun
4.
a literate person
Derived Forms
literately, adverb
Word Origin
C15: from Latin litterātus learned. See letter
Word Origin and History for literate
adj.
"educated, instructed," early 15c., from Latin literatus/litteratus "educated, learned," literally "one who knows the letters," formed in imitation of Greek grammatikos from Latin littera/litera "letter" (see letter (n.1)).