underprivileged — lacking the basic necessities or advantages of life, such as adequate housing, medical care, or educational opportunities
Part of speech: ADJECTIVE
Definition: lacking the basic necessities or advantages of life, such as adequate housing, medical care, or educational opportunities
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈʌndərˌprɪvəlɪdʒd/
Example Sentences
- The billionaire decided to adopt 100 underprivileged cats instead of children because they're quieter during board meetings.
- Many underprivileged students receive scholarships to attend university.
- The program provides free meals for underprivileged families in the neighborhood.
underprivileged
ADJECTIVE[/ˈʌndərˌprɪvəlɪdʒd/]
lacking the basic necessities or advantages of life, such as adequate housing, medical care, or educational opportunities
several children sit on worn wooden crates instead of proper chairs, sharing torn textbooks between them. They eagerly raise their hands despite having only broken pencil stubs to write with. A caring teacher kneels beside them, using a cracked chalkboard propped against the wall. The children's clothes are patched but clean, showing their determination to learn despite the circumstances. Other students in the background work at desks with wobbly legs, making the best of their limited supplies. children lacking the basic necessities and advantages that proper educational opportunities should provide
Though damaged, their lives are now managed!
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
A relatively recent English compound formed in the 1950s, combining the prefix 'under-' (meaning insufficient or below) with 'privileged' (possessing advantages or rights). The word emerged to describe individuals or groups lacking access to social, economic, or educational advantages typically available to others.
Breakdown
under- (insufficient, below) + priv- (from Latin privus, meaning individual or separate) + -ileged (from Latin legis, meaning law, referring to special rights or advantages granted by law).
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“The billionaire decided to adopt 100 underprivileged cats instead of children because they're quieter during board meetings.”
“Many underprivileged students receive scholarships to attend university.”
“The program provides free meals for underprivileged families in the neighborhood.”
“She volunteers at a shelter for underprivileged teenagers every weekend.”
📚Related Words
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