uneducated

/ˈʌnˌɛdʒəˈkeɪdɪd/

/ənˈɛdʒukeɪtɪd/

Being uneducated means not having attended much school. Someone who's uneducated hasn't had a lot of formal teaching, but that doesn't mean they're not intelligent.

Plenty of formally uneducated people go on to do great things and live happy lives. But if you're really curious about a subject, or you want to become a doctor, teacher, plumber, or veterinarian, you'll need to get educated by going to school or otherwise being taught. The word uneducated comes from the verb educate, "provide schooling," and its root, which means "bring out" or "lead forth."

Definitions of uneducated

1. adjective

   having or showing little to no background in schooling
   synonyms:

   noncivilised, noncivilized

   not having a high state of culture and social development

   ignorant, illiterate

   uneducated in the fundamentals of a given art or branch of learning; lacking knowledge of a specific field

   ignorant, nescient, unlearned, unlettered

   uneducated in general; lacking knowledge or sophistication

   undereducated

   poorly or insufficiently educated

   unschooled, untaught, untutored

   lacking in schooling

   unstudied

   lacking knowledge gained by study often in a particular field

   innumerate

   lacking knowledge and understanding of mathematical concepts and methods

   unenlightened

   not enlightened; ignorant

   uninformed

   not informed; lacking in knowledge or information

   illiterate

   not able to read or write

   antonyms:

   educated

   possessing an education (especially having more than average knowledge)

   civilised, civilized

   having a high state of culture and development both social and technological

   knowing, knowledgeable, learned, lettered, well-educated, well-read

   highly educated; having extensive information or understanding

   literate

   knowledgeable and educated in one or several fields

   self-educated

   educated by your own efforts rather than by formal instruction

   semiliterate

   literate but poorly informed

   numerate

   able to understand and use numbers

   enlightened

   having knowledge and spiritual insight

   informed

   having much knowledge or education

   intellectual

   appealing to or using the intellect

   literate

   able to read and write