Lettré (en. Letter)

/le.tʁe/

Meaning & Definition

EnglishFrench
adjective
Educated, cultured.
He is very literate, he has a great knowledge of the classics.
Il est très lettré, il possède une grande connaissance des classiques.
Related to letters in the sense of literature.
He is a literate author who has greatly contributed to modern poetry.
C'est un auteur lettré qui a beaucoup contribué à la poésie moderne.
Who knows how to read and write.
In this region, the literacy rate has significantly increased.
Dans cette région, le taux de lettrés a considérablement augmenté.

Etymology

From Latin 'litteratus', meaning 'educated, cultured'.

Common Phrases and Expressions

literate in his knowledge
Person with a great culture.
lettré dans ses connaissances
educated man
Man who has studied a lot and has diverse knowledge.
homme lettré

Related Words

letter
A graphical symbol used to represent phonetics.
lettre
letters
The different symbols that make up the alphabet.
lettres
literature
The collection of written works.
littérature

Slang Meanings

A term used to describe someone who is very educated.
This professor is a true literate, he knows everything about history.
Ce professeur est un vrai lettré, il connaît tout sur l'histoire.
To mock someone who is above average in education.
Look at him, he thinks he's a literate just because he has a PhD.
Regarde-le, il se prend pour un lettré juste parce qu'il a un doctorat.