graffiti

American  

[gruh-fee-tee] / grəˈfi ti /

noun

1. plural of graffito.

2. (used with a plural verb) markings, as initials, slogans, or drawings, written, spray-painted, or sketched on a sidewalk, wall of a building or public restroom, or the like.

   These graffiti are evidence of the neighborhood's decline.

3. (used with a singular verb) such markings as a whole or as constituting a particular group.

   Not much graffiti appears around here these days.

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graffiti British  

/ ɡræˈfiːtiː /

plural noun

1. (sometimes with singular verb) drawings, messages, etc, often obscene, scribbled on the walls of public lavatories, advertising posters, etc

2. archaeol inscriptions or drawings scratched or carved onto a surface, esp rock or pottery

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Usage

In formal speech and writing graffiti takes a plural verb. In less formal contexts it is sometimes considered a mass noun and is used with a singular verb. The singular graffito is found mostly in archaeological and other technical writing.

Other Word Forms

• graffitist
  noun

Etymology

Origin of graffiti

1850–55; < Italian, plural of graffito incised inscription or design, derivative with -ito -ite ² of graffiare to scratch, perhaps influenced by presumed Latin *graphīre to write; both probably derivative of Latin graphium stylus < Greek grapheîon; cf. graphic, grapho-, graft ¹

Explanation

Graffiti is a word, phrase, or image painted or drawn somewhere in public, like on the side of a building or on the walls in a restroom. Art or vandalism? That’s the debate about graffiti. For some people, graffiti looks ugly and damages the property where it’s left. Others consider graffiti a form of self-expression and a celebration of public spaces. The word comes from the Italian graffito, which means “a scratch,” and like a deep scratch, graffiti can be difficult to remove. It’s also difficult to spell, but remember that there are two fs and only one t and you’ll get it right every time.

Example Sentences

It is thought there could be also further prehistoric art hidden underneath the graffiti on the other side of the cave - painted by a local fisherman in the late 1800s.

From BBC • Jun. 1, 2026

When asked why he had body armor, according to the complaint, Alvarez said he was going to “draw on it” because he liked “doing graffiti and stuff like that.”

From Los Angeles Times • May 30, 2026

He hired graffiti artists to paint a Liberty Bell and “Exit Only” sign on one wall, and the family’s names, written in Korean, on another.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026

"The graffiti will be removed once the investigation is complete. With antisemitism on the rise here and across the globe, we will always stand up for our Jewish community and fight back against hate."

From Barron's • May 4, 2026

There were chain-link fences with razor wire, iron bars on windows, and graffiti covering the wall of an abandoned warehouse.

From "City Spies" by James Ponti