Dictionary.com

graffiti

[ gruh-fee-tee ]
/ grəˈfi ti /
See synonyms for graffiti on Thesaurus.com

noun

plural of graffito.
(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.
(used with a singular verb) such markings as a whole or as constituting a particular group: Not much graffiti appears around here these days.

QUIZZES

LEARN THE SPANISH WORDS FOR THESE COMMON ANIMALS!

Are you learning Spanish? Or do you just have an interest in foreign languages? Either way, this quiz on Spanish words for animals is for you.
Question 1 of 13
How do you say “cat” 🐈 in Spanish?
gato/gata
cato/cata
gatto/gatta
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of graffiti

1850–55; <Italian, plural of graffito incised inscription or design, derivative with -ito-ite2 of graffiare to scratch, perhaps influenced by presumed Latin *graphīre to write; both probably derivative of Latin graphium stylus <Greek grapheîon;cf. graphic, grapho-, graft1

usage note for graffiti

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 WORDS FROM graffiti

graf·fi·tist, noun

Words nearby graffiti

Graefe's operation, Graefe's sign, Graeffe method, Graf, Gräfenberg spot, graffiti, graffito, graft, graftage, graft hybrid, grafting
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Content related to graffiti

“Street Art” vs. “Graffiti”: What’s The Difference?Now more than ever before, public art is on the rise. New murals crop up in cities, large and small, on what feels like an everyday basis, each one breathing new, vibrant life into the streets that were once blank canvases for creativity. The terms graffiti and street art have long been used interchangeably to describe these public art installations—but what should we really call …
READ MORE

Words related to graffiti

defacement, doodles, scribbling

Example sentences from the Web for graffiti

British Dictionary definitions for graffiti

graffiti
/ (ɡræˈfiːtiː) /

pl n singular -to (-təʊ)

(sometimes with singular verb) drawings, messages, etc, often obscene, scribbled on the walls of public lavatories, advertising posters, etc
archaeol inscriptions or drawings scratched or carved onto a surface, esp rock or pottery

Derived forms of graffiti

graffitist, noun

Word Origin for graffiti

C19: graffito from Italian: a little scratch, from graffio, from Latin graphium stylus, from Greek grapheion; see graft 1
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