illitterate

comparative more illitterate · superlative most illitterate

1. obsoleteObsolete form of illiterate.

   3 more examples

   The Romans had a time once every year, when their Slaves might freely ſpeake their minds, twere hard if the free borne people of England, with whom the voyce of Truth for theſe many yeares, even againſt the proverb, hath not bin heard but in corners, after all your Monkiſh prohibitions, and expurgatorious indexes, your gags and ſnaffles, your proud Imprimaturs not to be obtain’d without the ſhallow ſurview, but not ſhallow hand of ſome mercenary, narrow Soul’d, and illitterate Chaplain; […]

   1641, [John Milton], Animadversions upon the Remonstrants Defence against Smectymnuus, London: […] [Richard Oulton and Gregory Dexter] for Thomas Vnderhill, […], →OCLC, pages 7–8

   And whoever doth not thus addreſs himſelf, can no more Judge, then any one could of the Revelations then made by the Spirit to the Prophets of thoſe Firſt Times, when they met in thoſe Prophetical Exerciſes, without the Communication of the ſame Spirit to themſelves; or then an Illitterate, or unknowing Perſon in any Science or Art, Can Judge of the Exercitations of the moſt knowing Perſons, or Artiſts, when they meet together for the Communication of their moſt Elaborate Exercitations therein: […]

   1697, T[homas] Beverley, An Apology for the Hope of the Kingdom of Christ, Appearing within This Approaching Year, 1697. […], London: […] Will[iam] Marshal […], and John Marshal […], →OCLC, page 19

   Now the perſons, whom our bleſſed Saviour choſe for his apoſtles, were twelve, honeſt, poor, illitterate men, of no power, influence, or authority, of no learning, eloquence, or addreſs, called up from low trades to be miniſters of the goſpel, from humble fiſhers to be (4) fiſhers of men. […] Learning might have made ſome amends for their want of authority, or authority might have made ſome amends for their want of learning; but poor and illitterate too they were ſo far from being aſſiſted by either, that they were vehemently oppoſed by both.

   1760 January 20, Thomas Newton, On Our Saviour’s Choice of His Apostles. A Sermon Preached in Lambeth Chapel […], London: […] J[acob] and R[ichard] Tonson […], →OCLC, pages 7 and 16