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

Derived 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

He meets his slightly older schoolmate Olympia, one of Eggers’ most beguiling creations, when she implores him to scrawl scatological bathroom graffiti on a playground structure in Old-English typography.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026

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

“Over several years, we have developed a comprehensive plan to enable immediate graffiti abatement, restart construction, and deliver both an Olympic-ready site and a long-term asset for Downtown Los Angeles,” buyers’ representative Melanie Mendoza said.

From Los Angeles Times • May 28, 2026

Small-business owners buzzed customers in through locked doors and, at closing time, rolled down metal security gates, luring graffiti vandals.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026

Miss Throckmorton used to tell us that people who carve things on trees are the wickedest sorts of vandals 'cause they're not only making graffiti, they're hurting living beings too.

From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell