casita

American  

[kuh-see-tuh, kah-see-tah] / kəˈsi tə, kɑˈsi tɑ /

noun

casitas plural

1. a small crude dwelling forming part of a shantytown inhabited by Mexican laborers in the southwestern United States.

2. a luxurious bungalow serving as private guest accommodations at a resort hotel, especially in the southwestern United States or Mexico.

3. (especially in the southwestern United States) a small house, especially one built alongside or as an addition to a larger main home.

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• casitas
  plural

Etymology

Origin of casita

First recorded in 1920–25; from Latin American Spanish, Spanish, equivalent to cas(a) “house, home” (from Latin ) + -ita diminutive suffix

Example Sentences

We’d seen the famously star-studded house, or the casita, in both his San Juan residency and international tour run, which was duly brought back for the halftime show.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 9, 2026

He eventually emerged on the roof of a casita identical to the one featured in his Puerto Rican residency’s set, one of two structures that served as stages and tributes to the island’s culture.

From Salon • Feb. 9, 2026

This included his casita, a house which has gone viral on social media several times for its celebrity guests.

From BBC • Feb. 8, 2026

Doc had escaped our casita and made his way to an outdoor wedding reception to congratulate the newlyweds.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 14, 2026

The casita has been shut up since late summer, when Tío Toni disappeared.

From "Before We Were Free" by Julia Alvarez