Definition of literates:
(adj) :
Able to read and write; having literacy.
(n) :
A person who is able to read and write.
(adj) :
Knowledgeable in literature, writing; literary; well-read.
(adj) :
Which is used in writing (of a language or dialect).
(n) :
(historical) A person who was educated but had not taken a university degree; especially a candidate to take holy orders.