Literacy

Of course the obvious definition that I am sure comes to everyone's mind when they hear the word literate is the ability one has in understanding how to read and write. Literacy means that one is capable of not only sounding out sentences and spelling basic words, but also having the capacity to form complex thoughts in multiple different ways. More often than not when one is called "literate" it goes beyond meaning that they can read the words cat and dog. The word literate generally has a deeper meaning attached with it--being intelligent. If a man is in his thirties and could still only read books meant for first graders, I would still call that person illiterate even if technically he can read and write on a basic level. Similarly, the word illiterate often times is used to express more than just one's inability to read and write, but suggests a stereotype into a persons upbringing. I think that it is very easy to say on the surface that one means you can read and write and the other means that you can't, but to me these words are connected with a much larger concept.