terpelajar

Terpelajar is an Indonesian adjective that denotes someone who is educated, literate, or scholarly. It is commonly used to describe individuals who have completed formal schooling and possess broad knowledge, though the term can also refer to a cultivated, culturally literate class of people.

Derived from pelajar (student) with the infix prefix ter- indicating a state or condition, terpelajar literally means "having been educated" or "in a state of being educated." In everyday speech it connotes not only schooling but also exposure to ideas, critical thinking, and cultural literacy.

It is used in various registers, from formal discourse to literary criticism. The phrase orang terpelajar is often contrasted with phrases describing ignorance or lack of education; however, depending on context it may carry a normative or aspirational tone or imply elitism, especially when used to distinguish educated elites from the general public.

Related terms include berpendidikan (educated, with emphasis on possessing education), berilmu (knowledgeable, with emphasis on knowledge), and terdidik (discipline, trained).