ghetto

American  

[get-oh] / ˈgɛt oʊ /

noun

plural

ghettos, ghettoes

1. a section of a city, especially a thickly populated slum area, inhabited predominantly by members of an ethnic or other minority group, often as a result of social pressures or economic hardships.

2. (formerly, in most European countries) a section of a city in which all Jews were required to live.

3. any mode of living, working, etc., that results from stereotyping or biased treatment.

   job ghettos for women; ghettos for the elderly.

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adjective

1. pertaining to or characteristic of life in a ghetto or the people who live there.

   ghetto culture.

2. Slang: Often Disparaging and Offensive. noting something that is considered to be unrefined, low-class, cheap, or inferior.

ghetto British  

/ ˈɡɛtəʊ /

noun

1. sociol a densely populated slum area of a city inhabited by a socially and economically deprived minority

2. an area in a European city in which Jews were formerly required to live

3. a group or class of people that is segregated in some way

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Etymology

Origin of ghetto

First recorded in 1605–15; from Italian, originally the name of an island near Venice where Jews were forced to reside in the 16th century, from Venetian dialect: literally, “foundry for artillery” (giving the island its name); futher origin uncertain

Example Sentences

He has faced a concerted challenge from singer-turned-politician Bobi Wine, 43, who styles himself the "ghetto president", after his stronghold in a slum where he grew up in the capital, Kampala.

From Barron's • Jan. 15, 2026

Afterward, a group of children come to the dressing room, with a criticism: “In the ghetto, that’s not how it was,” says one.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 14, 2026

“We would hit a town, and he’d head straight to the ghetto and almost get killed,” Trees guitarist Gary Lee Conner said.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2025

She said during the offline night, during which she played music from old tapes on two ghetto blasters, the cafe had a "relaxed and happy vibe".

From BBC • Mar. 9, 2025

No matter how difficult life had been in the ghetto, at least outwardly it had appeared a familiar world.

From "The Boy on the Wooden Box" by Leon Leyson