barrio

[bahr-ee-oh, bar-, bahr-ryaw]

noun

plural

barrios 

1. (in Spain and countries colonized by Spain) one of the divisions into which a town or city, together with the contiguous rural territory, is divided.

2. a part of a large U.S. city, especially a crowded inner-city area, inhabited chiefly by a Spanish-speaking population.

barrio

/ ˈbarrjo, ˈbærɪəʊ /

noun

1. a Spanish-speaking quarter in a town or city, esp in the US

2. a Spanish-speaking community

Word History and Origins

Origin of barrio¹

First recorded in 1890–95; from Spanish: literally, “district, neighborhood,” from Arabic barrī “of open country” (equivalent to barr “outside, open country” + -i adjective suffix) + -o Spanish noun suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of barrio¹

from Spanish, from Arabic barrī of open country, from barr open country

Example Sentences

Similarly, reggaetón developed in the working-class barrios and public housing developments of Puerto Rico.

From Los Angeles Times

For children in barrios who can now expect ICE and Border Patrol trucks to cruise past their schools searching for adults and even teens to detain — it’s already happened.

From Los Angeles Times

She looked and sounded like an older cousin who grew up in the barrio and now lives in Downey, trying to sound hard in front of her bemused cholo relatives.

From Los Angeles Times

By contrast, Boca have always remained in their spiritual home, the famous La Bombonera stadium that is seemingly dropped into the middle of the 'barrio', a high-poverty district of the city.

From BBC

In reality, she was a “working-class Mexicana from Mazatlan who fled north to reclaim a tiny corner of a Los Angeles barrio, Frogtown,” he says.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• part 
• place 
• point 
• region 
• sector