ghetto

1 of 3

noun

ghet·​to ˈge-(ˌ)tō 

plural ghettos also ghettoes

1

history : a quarter of a city especially in Europe in which Jews were formerly required to live

2

sometimes offensive; see usage paragraph below : an underprivileged district of a city or town in which members of a minority group live especially because of social, legal, or economic pressure

3

disparaging + sometimes offensive; see usage paragraph below

a

: an isolated group

We are secluding ourselves in ideological ghettos. We don't have to debate rationally or even be exposed to ideas that contradict ours. We have our own news sources. We exchange ideas mostly or exclusively with people who agree with us, and troll those who don't.

—John McCain and Mark Salter

b

: a situation that resembles a ghetto especially in conferring inferior status or limiting opportunity

In the 30's and into the 40's, I was a comic-book cartoonist and nothing more, laboring in what would soon become a kind of artistic ghetto in which people with authentic, if offbeat talents had to suffer the disdain of the mainstream.

—Will Eisner

Usage of Ghetto

The noun ghetto in senses 2 and 3 is sometimes considered offensive in U.S. English due to its association with racist attitudes towards underprivileged city districts and the people who live in them.

ghetto

2 of 3

adjective

disparaging + usually offensive; see usage paragraph below

: of, relating to, being, or characteristic of an underprivileged district of a city or town or the people who live there who are often members of minority groups

especially, disparaging + offensive : characteristic of such people or such a district in a way that is suggestive of low social class

Usage of Ghetto

In the U.S., the adjective ghetto is strongly associated with racist attitudes towards the people who live in underprivileged city districts. Although the use of ghetto by and among residents of such districts may be considered neutral, its use by outsiders—particularly to disparage someone or something as being typical of such a city resident or district—is understood to be offensive.

ghetto

3 of 3

verb

ghettoed; ghettoing; ghettos

transitive verb

: ghettoize

Did you know?

The etymology of Italian ghetto was formerly the subject of much speculation, but today there is little doubt that the word comes from the Italian dialect form ghèto, meaning “foundry.” A foundry for cannons was once located on an island that forms part of Venice, where in 1516 the Venetians restricted Jewish residence. The word ghèto became the name for the area and was borrowed into standard Italian as ghetto, with the meaning of “section of a city where Jews are forced to live.” From there it passed into most other European languages. Since the late 19th century, the meaning of ghetto has been extended to crowded urban districts where other ethnic or racial groups have been confined by poverty or prejudice.

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Italian, from Venetian dialect ghèto island where Jews were forced to live, literally, foundry (located on the island), from ghetàr to cast, from Latin jactare to throw — more at jet

Adjective

from attributive of ghetto entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1987, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1905, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing ghetto

• ghetto blaster

Kids Definition

ghetto

noun

ghet·​to

ˈget-ō

plural ghettos also ghettoes

1

: a part of a city in which Jews were formerly required to live

2

: a part of a city in which members of a minority group live especially because of social, legal, or economic pressure