graffiti

²graffiti

noun

Definition of GRAFFITI

: usu. unauthorized writing or drawing on a public surface

Usage Discussion of GRAFFITI

Graffiti, which also serves as the plural of graffito, is commonly used as a singular mass noun <graffiti … was depressing people who rode the subways — New Yorker> <graffiti comes in various styles — S. K. Oberbeck>. This use is well established although not yet as well established as the mass-noun use of data. Use of graffiti as a singular count noun is still quite rare and is not standard.

Examples of GRAFFITI

1. The walls of the old building are covered with graffiti.

Origin of GRAFFITI

Italian, plural of graffito

First Known Use: 1945

Rhymes with GRAFFITI

entreaty, Tahiti