gotta

[ got-uh ]

Informal.
  1. got to; have got to: I can’t stay—I gotta get up early tomorrow.

  2. got a; have got a: Hey, man, gotta light?

Origin of gotta

1
First recorded in 1885–90 in spelling gotter, representing the r-less British pronunciation of the phrase (have) got to or (have) got a in continuous rapid speech

usage note For gotta

See get.

Words Nearby gotta

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

British Dictionary definitions for gotta

gotta

/ (ˈɡɒtə) /


verb, contraction ofslang
  1. got to

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012