Il*lit"er*a*cy (?), n.; pl. Illiteracies (#). [From Illiterate.] 1. The state of being illiterate, or uneducated; want of learning, or knowledge; ignorance; specifically, inability to read and write; as, the illiteracy shown by the last census.

2. An instance of ignorance; a literary blunder.

The many blunders and illiteracies of the first publishers of his [Shakespeare's] works.

• inability to read